Young ace Jacob signs on for Gitjr ?


Page 54 Page54


mars


Clitheroe fixture


, VICTORIOUS: Luke Blackledge retained hiS’uh


record


By Dan Black


. “ ; prove to’be the defining’ moment of his career.'


BOXING coach Kevin Maree believes Luke , Blackledge’s disheartening A stalemate last year-coiildv


' _ The


j^^lackledge to j5ush;bn in " the professional ranks. : ;


’ ,‘-f5^tfian i being' despondent ; : he wanted.to put it right. -


9 , He’srieamt from ;his own mistakes and profited from them.”


-.Jr^shis' career,” ! Maree-i admit-;’?.: tecLSHe’s in the gjm’three V '-tifrieVYa^day'.how,^;always


' wouldn’t expect him to be‘; - . . where he is at this stage;of.U


' Maree . ; added:’ .- “I-


• _ still in tact is brilliant. He ■ got caught- up -riding -the -; crest of a wave, with Kenny, : Anderson - winning his title, but it was the wake up call he needed. .Rather


0 of the best and most sig- - nificaht V ■ outcomes - of his career,’’ said Maree.'' “Defeats wake people up ■ and it’s happened to a lot ' of-great filters.. We got-, away with a draw so to :• ' have that unbeaten record


coiild i prove to be _ one


.: topple Zimbabwean foe ,T’^ i Musiyiyya at Hull’s • City , Hall ihr.Novemberj; but .that result transpired' to’be the;toniC;needed for’


22ryear-bld * had; >seem-' indy suffered a significant setback vvhen-; failing to


- powerhouse


wanting 'to „ to push himself, t __ _______


asking


'H e ’s already:got two titles ■".which is jg-eat;.at 22. He’s


- the ring. I can’t fault him. He’s ahreath of-fresh air.


always wanting to get in to spar with


: improving at-a-’rapid ’ and he’s going.to learn and


the way.” , - ; Blackledge,' ’ already


top 10' European- fighter across the weight divisions to- be as young as 22. He’s:


t turned . ms life ■ around “I mink Luke’is’the dniy'


hrough bo.xing. . rate;


. Markussen with the fourth round stoppage; of Scott , Edgar at the Wythenshawe


■in as well OT ,we’re happyl’L.'- -' Bla’ckledge:::JywU§;


-couldn’t have gone any -- : better.: I t 'was good. to see; things: we’ve ; been .’work--'' ing ori in the gym imple- ' mented in the fight Luke : was;; relentless at - times,' -' guhg-ho, blit he.barely got;.^; hit which was<great and to get the; stoppage was a ' bonus.,He got the founds


t “'The-risk'paid off to" a '


' seven' in Britain, recently ^ warmed . up • for' - his . highly-antidpated. clash, with . ^ Denmark’s Rudy


; . an the attributes:to go all- . a two-tune' title ' Winner


develop dramatically in his upcoming fights: He’s got


best: and


questions, always he


■ Markussen at Arena Nord in Frederikshavn on April 13th, praying for a similar outcome to that in his contest against fellow Scandanavian Mads Larseii just- nine months ago.


: fitter and stronger' duruig that period and nis weight


and - .ranked' - number : propel him to stardom.’’ -


- of .Friday’s performance. With all:due respect, his 1 ast opponent was nowhere near the calibre pf Rudy because he’s a world class operator. This fight could


-Forum, a* result '-that;- delighted his trainer. -


. - - Maree added: “Luke is ; exuberant and a good pres­ sure'fighter. -We re hoping for the same 'result as he picked: up'yaigainst. Mads . Larsen.-y-TheigOodlthing


ee,’’ Maree beamed. .“I t : -


■ he’s got heart, determina­ tion and a. burning will to win..'


-


: dog,'■ the-,’odds'. are'stacked against hiih;-T biit wO’li be ,


; : “This-is siichfa'massive fight. He’s really up against : itrHe’s-aridiculousunder-


;pi * Lll « • w .. w W


backing him.ViTfiere’s no i nressurey onhim; because


but I re^ly.feel he’s going to pull.iit offr.otherwise .I -wouldn’t be getting on that ' plahelto Denmark^’ ' -


here’s-' -•’no’^i-y expectation’- it T'-r/aoIlir -Aaal Via’o'


V


about' Luke is that • he’ll neverquit.-He’s relentless,


.will be better. All those will be, an added extra on top


away from the. fight,” said Maree. “He’s going to get


“We are still six weeks


face hard-hitting Rudy


\Y SUCCESS: Clither'oe ibrate one of the goals akefield on Saturday.


. : ■ • -:’


. from Andy Dawson and substitute - Glodi Kiiba-Kuba consigned :Paul.


, Moore’s side to defeat. There was-a solitary change from


clean sheets, a Phil Dean penalty ■ together with second-half, strikes


opening period-fell to Chris Mason midway thrOugh the half - but lus shot from an acute angle was tum’ed behmd by Peter CoUinge’. :


comers, RamsbottOm had jthe first clear sight of goal on 14 minutes as Danny Warrender glanced a Gary i Stopforth free-kick wide of the post The visitors’ best chance of the


the team which comfortably defeated Wakefield at the weekend with Rok , Dent replacing Dean Canning. After a series of early'Clitheroe .


Ramsbottom United.............3 ^l^thoroo.B. . .aw. .B. . , . , , .0 ■ GLITHEROE’S fiyermatch -unbealt- en run came to an end as Ramsbot-; tom United continued their impres­ sive march towards the play-Offs. After recording, three successive ’


lenged Lee Gaskell, with Dean rifling the resulting penal^ high into Hakan Burton’s n e t "


“S ' , ■


Excellent defending from Higgins: denied Dominic- Smalley . before - - ;Burton pulled off a smart save to pre-


' vent Jordan Hulme heading a second - as the half-time whistle approached. ; . Neither side created any clear-cut; chances of note in tbe opening stages of the second half althoughLlitheroe - rallied shortly after the hour mark and came close to equalising. - 'Daniiy Mahoney saw'bis header- from a 65th minute Lee Pugh comer deflected ' behind- - before Chris Smalley’s .header from another P u ^ set-piece hit the crossbar. - . . K^iiisbottom — "how unbeaten in eight league games - all but set­ tled matters with quarter of an hour


; remaining as Dawson headed home a .Stopforth comer frbm the left flank. ' ' With seven - minutes left on the


: Ramsbottom’s --away form .has . eclipsed their home results so far this ’ season but the Hosts took the lead on -


27 minute’s from^the penally spot, Jack Higginswasfiaishly adjudged ? to have handled the ball as he chal- ''


-calmly finish past Burton for’ his first goal for the club. .


. : Clitheroe rallied towards the end


,Kuba-Kuba added a third. . The forward' took . advantage of a defensive lapse to race: clear and


clock, the outcome was-put beyond all doubt when former Blues striker


but could not find a way past a stubborn Ramsbottom defence.


, • A-'report from the 3-0 ,wn at Wakefield is on page


ROSSMcLEAN 95p ISSN 1355-3658


10 >


. With : 10 games now remaining, the Blues will look to return to winning ways on Saturday when they travel to Prescot. Cables (kick-off 3 P-m.).


771355 365489


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