CHEPSTOW boxer Pat Mullane won a bronze medal at the Junior Nations Cup in Serbia at the weekend, writes Bob Cypher.

Coach Steve Woods explained that Mullane soon settled in his quarter final against a Bosnian boxer.

"We've been working on improving the time Pat takes to pick his punches because you cannot rush in at this level," Woods added.

"Pat boxed his way ahead and then controlled the bout, keeping himself ahead on the scorecards and all five judges gave him an unanimous victory.

"In the semi final, Pat was up against a Kazakhstan boxer who was a lot taller than Pat.

"He was also a southpaw like Pat and he used his reach well, forcing Pat to take a standing eight count - the first of his career.

"Pat came out in the second round and was far more focused and the bout was starting to turn.

"Round three saw Pat land more solid shots, backing his opponent up, but unfortunately an accidental elbow caught Pat in an eye, the doctor examined the injury and stopped the bout.

"Pat lost on a split decision and although it was a disappointing end, it’s still a great start to Pat's international career off British soil."

Woods and his assistant coaches, Doug Lewis and Colin Fear, all agreed they couldn’t have asked for more from Mullane.

"We now wait to see if Pat gets picked again for the next big junior tournament, although judging by this performance it’s hard to see why he wouldn’t be," Woods said.