McConnell beats Ekinci to progress in Euros

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Jon McConnell beat Turkey's Necat Ekinci by unanimous decision to progress in the European Boxing Championships in Sofia.

McConnell was the first member of the 14-strong Team Ireland to get in the ring and he claimed a comfortable victory in his opening bout of the men's 70kg against a Paris Olympian, with all five judges scoring the contest 30:27 in his favour in Bulgaria

The 23-year-old will face Poland's Damian Durkacz in the last 16 on Saturday after he overcame Lithuania's Aleksandr Trofimcuk.

Two more Irish boxers will be in action on Friday with Jude Gallagher taking on Slovakia's Maksym Bocarov at 60kg and Dean Clancy facing Mohamed Siala of Germany at 65kg.