Boxing: Irish boxers from three different provinces won three of the first five contests on offer in the Three Nations Junior (under-19) international against Germany and France at the National Stadium last night.

The three Irishmen assured of final places tonight are Belfast's Paddy Barnes at lightflyweight, bantam David Oliver Joyce from Athy, and another lightflyweight in David Joyce of Athy.

An exciting conclusion was set up when David Oliver Joyce qualified to meet European silver medallist Amine Boumerdaci. The Irish senior champion beat German southpaw Heike Dosske 18-14.

Joyce impressed throughout even though he only had a one-point lead going into the last round. He forced his opponent to take a standing count of eight after landing a heavy body blow in the second, and the German, who lacked the fitness of the Irishman, took another standing count in the third.

Boumerdaci was impressive when chalking up a 20-10 win over Kevin Fennessy of Clonmel.