SOL Gilday-Evans knocked down Lawrence ABC’s Jayke Cooney within the first few seconds of their bout on the Bournemouth show before going on to win a thrilling bout on points.

Cooney came flying out of the blocks against the Dorchester & District ABC fighter at the start of the opening round, but Gilday-Evans left his opponent on the canvas with just about the first punch of the contest.

No-one could have foreseen Gilday-Evans breaking down the muscle-flexing showman so quickly.

His unorthodox, but highly exciting versatility, gave the crowds a real treat of timing and power, although Cooney rallied well after a shaky start and gave a competitive performance in the two remaining rounds.

The boxers created a memorable encounter in front of a vocal crowd and Gilday-Evans took the bout, much to the delight of his fans.

Dorchester coach Ben Geyser said: “Sol’s reflexes are good and he has a style that is so awkward with both hands giving heavy punches. We haven’t heard the last of him yet.”

On the same show, fellow Dorchester member Martin Gough made his debut against Bret Timlin from Oakmead.

Gough started well and handled the much taller boxer with ease, firing in some quick body shots.

Timlin used his superior reach to his advantage, but Gough’s footwork kept him out of serious trouble as he was able to dodge the heavy shots.

The second round saw Timlin wading in as he tried to crack Gough’s combinations, and by the third round the latter was showing signs of fatigue.

His huge heart and desire carried him through to the final bell but Gough was the first to say that Timlin deserved the win.

Geyser added: “Martin boxed well against a large boy, and it’s a shame that his sense of timing ran out. Many new boxers put too much effort into the early rounds.”

Dorchester trio Aaron Gould, Fraser Low and Gilday-Evans were booked to box at a tournament in Boscombe.

However, only Gould’s skills bout opponent, Jayke Christy (Bideford), turned up.

There is no winner or loser in a skills bout but this contest was a thriller as Christy went on the front foot from the outset, trying to back Gould into a cor- ner with blows to the body and head.

But Gough wasn’t going to be pushed around and he retaliated – the fight got so heated at one point that the referee had to step in.

Each boxer revelled in the attention, thoroughly enjoying their moment of glory as both hands were raised at the end.

Commenting on Gould’s display, Geyser said: “Aaron demonstrated that he possesses rare natural boxing skills.”