The late withdrawal of the top-of-the-bill fight featuring Stuart McCrone couldn't detract from a good night of boxing at Spennymoor Leisure Centre last week which featured a satisfying win for Gary Reay.

Spennymoor Boxing Academy's first show of the year was intended to pitch Scottish champion Ryan Kerr against the host club's senior middleweight ABA quarter-finalist Stuart McCrone.

But hours before the night kicked-off, Kerr pulled out with a hand injury.

Paul Hodgson, Spennymoor BA secretary, explained: "Stuey's opponent pulled out at very, very short notice. He landed here, basically failed the doctor. He had a swollen hand and he just wasn't fit enough to fight at the last minute.

"The bout was actually on at one time, and then it was off at the last minute, we were gutted. But that's amateur boxing and we've got to account for that, luckily it was only one bout."

But the 500 crowd were not to be disappointed as some cracking fights followed, the most eye-catching being the tussle between Reay and Stuart Leonard of Darlington ABC and Spennymoor's Andy Hunter's bout with Martin Longstaff.

Leonard is a double national champion having won both schoolboy and junior ABA titles while he beat Reay in Darlington two weeks previously. So Reay, and the home crowd, were overjoyed to see the Spennymoor fighter gain a great scalp after an excellent contest.

Hodgson was delighted, saying: "Gary Reay was the icing on the cake. I knew it was going to be a cracking bout, it exceeded all expectations, I was very proud of him.

"I'm going to get up in the morning an hour earlier, I'm going to set the clock so that I can be proud of that kid longer. He's beat a double national champion - it's like Hasim Rahman last week beating Lennox Lewis.

"Gary Reay did us really, really proud tonight and his family and all of his supporters should be very proud of him.

"It was a very well deserved victory, he boxed beautifully against a very, very strong, brave opponent. Both these lads will meet again, a lot of times along the road and they'll become friends...eventually.

"It's a pleasure to watch a bout like that - Gary Reay is a little diamond."

Hunter's senior contest with Newbiggin ABC's Longstaff could be likened to a street-fight. There were punches to the back of the head, gum shields pinged across the ring, Hunter was literally thrown to the canvas and each boxer survived a standing count.

But it was Hunter who got a unanimous decision win after an explosive bout which brought the crowd to its feet.

"The Hunter bout was a bout you've got to have on a show like this. You've got to have a mix of pure boxing and pure fighting, the Hunter bout was a pure fight," commented Hodgson.

"It was very, very exciting. You didn't have to be a connoisseur of boxing to enjoy the Hunter fight - everybody would have enjoyed it, even I was up on my toes and I like to see them boxing. The Hunter fight was an absolute cracker.

"It had everything, it was very rough, they were both down, they both got counts - it's what boxing is all about. It was the grass roots of amateur boxing."

Zoe Rafferty from Derbyshire edged the night's female contest when she came up against Spennymoor's Katie Reid in a fight which never really found its feet.

Commenting on the strength of Spennymoor's squad, which numbers almost 20, coach Neil McCormick said: "I'm certain that we must be the only club north of the Watford Gap who could put on a full bill with boxers from the home club in every bout.

"We could fill a card and a half with Spennymoor boxers."

"I think we're the Manchester United of amateur boxing," added Hodgson.

Other results: Simon Costella (Bilton Hall, Jarrow) beat Robbie Wilkinson, unan. pts; Elliott Welch (Darlington ABC); beat Billy McAloon, unan. pts., Gary Fox beat Lee Soloman (Phil Thomas SOB, Middlesbrough), unan; John Cadman beat Robert Towers (Park Hotel, Middlesbrough), maj.; Nathan Ballan beat Christopher Leese (Hartlepool Catholic Club), maj.; George Gallone beat Dean Harrison (East Durham & Houghall Colliery), maj.; Alex Oliver beat Graham Bentham (Darlington ABC), unan.; Chris McIntyre (Newbiggin) beat Paul Warnett, maj.; Brian Robinson beat Paul Simmons (Lambton St. Sunderland), unan.

l On Saturday, Spennymoor's Brad Saunders won the class three, 48k national schoolboy title against Jamie Cox of Walcott Boys at the Metrodome in Barnsley.