The thinnest of defeats sees off Lions' fighter
Mohammed Hussain tumbled out of the England Youth Championships in wafer-thin fashion after a bout worthy of the national final.
Both he and 49kg rival Tom Stokes, then operating at a different weight, were one fight away from the full title last year,
This time, Hussain's journey ended in the West Midlands semi-finals, with the entrant from Lions in Dudley left aggrieved by the decision.
The 16-year-old made the short journey across to Shropshire to step through the ropes at the Donnington Sports & Social Club on Sunday.
He hung back and counter punched from the off and connected more than once with right back hands, but Stokes carried on coming forward.
Hussain was wary of his opponent's ability to switch hit as the contest ticked over into the third and final round, with everything left to fight for.
The Black Country teenager went hell for leather to make sure the concluding session was his and was aided by a point off for Stokes, who was punished for holding.
The three judges had it all square at 28-28 on their cards but, with the count-back rule now abolished, were obliged to pick a winner and went for Stokes.
Lions trainer Kevin Dillon said: "I honestly thought Mohammed had won, he did enough for me and had really gone at him in the third.
"The other kid had a point off, too, which made me even more confident. As it went, the judges thought he had won the first two rounds.
"But I can't keep having a go at decisions, the rules have made it more difficult for them and I think Mo can perform a lot better than he did.
"When they have to pick a winner like that, it can often come down to what style they prefer and the aggressor will more likely get the nod.
"Mo has to take that into account from now on and make sure he works harder than his opponent the next time he's in the ring.
"It's a shame, we really fancied him after getting to the national final last year. As it goes, he faced that sort of test very early on."
James Beech, from Pleck in Walsall, was given an unexpected chance to reach the 60kg area final, despite being eliminated the previous week!
He was reinstated after Donnington's Macauley Owen, who beat him on a split decision, pulled out on Saturday night because of a virus.
But Beech ended up marginally on the wrong side of the cards again to Tom Collins, from Hall Green in Birmingham, in a second straight loss.
It took him too long to work the Brummie out in their short-notice fight, although he did land at close quarters working the body and head.
Wodensborough's Benjamin Whittaker arrived at the venue and weighed in for his 75kg contest with Marvin Campbell, from Bartley Green in the second city.
But Campbell cried off citing a chest infection so Whittaker moves on to face Charlie Annetts, from Bell Green on Coventry, at the same venue on Sunday.
Akash Tuqir is also in 52kg action on Sunday, a resident of Hadley in Telford but now representing Merridale in Wolverhampton.
The two-time national finalist and former Tri-Nations title winner sat out the semi-finals, walking over with no opponent to box.
But the 17-year-old, who left Wellington Boxing Academy to join Merridale last summer, now goes up against Hall Green's Ammar Khan.
Warley's Corey Clarke will walk over the Midlands stages at 91kg with no opponents to box, with boxers born in 1997 and 1998 compressed over one division from this year.
Megan Ellis, from the Right Stuff in Stafford, has also received a bye to the national pre-quarter finals at 69kg in the female side of the competition.
