CANTERBURY boxer Richie Goodfellow fights in a Southern Counties final at the Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, on Saturday. Victory would take him through to a showdown against the Western Counties champion.

Club-mate Ian Ines is already at that stage, having had a walk-over in the featherweight B class as the only entry.

Goodfellow, last year’s national finalist, shook off ring-rust to beat Waterside’s tough Danny Perkins in the light-welterweight A class semi-final at Bexhill last Saturday.

Using deft footwork and fast hands, Goodfellow made his opponent miss time and againbefore going on the offensive and earning a stylish points win, to the delight of his coach Martin McKelvie. His opponent on Saturday will be Hastings Westhill fighter John Verlander.

Canterbury’s Joe Cooper and James Chiericato were out of luck in the regional finals of the National Association of Clubs for Young People championships, at Aveley, Essex.

Chiericato boxed Paul Fyson, of Canvey Island, at 46k Class A, and used straight punches, and hooks and uppercuts to romp home a points winner.

However, he then had to fight Paddy Jones, of Stevenage, the schools champion of England, who is on the ABA world class programme and a gold medallist in a multi-nations tournament - and who had drawn a bye while Chiericato fought.

After three fast, entertaining rounds the computer score was 5-5 a countback of judges’ scores left Jones the winner 20-19.

In the under-69k Class B Canterbury’s hard-hitting Joe Cooper staggered Stevenage boxer, Sam Skinner, several times before losing a points decision which surprised even his opponent’s corner.

Chiericato is back in action on Saturday at Bexley on a club show, accompanied by Sam Osmond, the national schoolboy champion, now back at Canterbury after a spell at The Grange, Margate.