MEDWAY'S young boxers have proved they are among the best in the region by easing through to the Southern Counties ABA Senior Finals.

The St Mary's club, based at Chatham, will be represented by three fighters. Aaron Gardener, 18, won through to the final by beating 32-year-old A Graham (Whitehawk ABC) 13-5 on points and will now face J Mitchell (Basingstoke) for a place in the national quarter-finals.

Jerome Xavier, 19, also beat a much more experienced man in 28-year-old F Jones (Woking) after stopping him in the fourth round. He forced him to have standing eight counts in the first and fourth rounds before eventually stopping him. He will face last year's champion in the final Martin Foley.

Bantamweight John Convey went straight through to the finals and will face Ben Allen (St Lawrence ABC).

There wasn't much good news in the championships for the Medway Golden Gloves club as Adam Daffy controversially bowed out of the competition on points.

Both clubs will be hoping for glory in the semi-finals of the National Schoolboy Finals this weekend. St Mary's fighters Rees Simmons (under-45kg, Class B), Todd Mills (under-48kg, senior) and Levi Hegarty (63.5kg, senior) Golden Gloves' Jason Trotman (under-51kg senior) will all be hoping to book their place in the final.

Meanwhile, two Golden Gloves fighters won tough bouts at the St Peters ABC Show held in Woolwich Town Hall. Ricky Rose (12) had sparred well and was in good shape for his under-42kg fight with L Brown (Finchley) and he put in a great performance to win on a unanimous decision.

Justin Maynard, 23, making his debut at 83kg, had to call on all his resources to beat Kosovan-born fighter S Letovicn from the home club in a blood and thunder contest.

Letovicn wasn't going to hang about and threw a barrage of punches at Maynard who had a height and reach advantage. But the Medway fighter boxed clever and used his jab to good effect and was elated to win on a unanimous verdict.

Micky Foord was due to fight but his opponent pulled out at the last minute.