Second time lucky for Jamie Ball

It proved a case of second time lucky for Coseley's Jamie Ball when he took another shot at the vacant Midlands light middleweight title at Walsall Town Hall.

His first attempt just before Christmas ended in a draw with Telford's Keiron Gray.

But the 26-year-old made no mistake on Saturday night, taking the title by sending Newark's Andrew Lowe down to his knees and out with a solid left hook to the body early in the eighth round. Just 43 seconds had elapsed when referee Robert Williams completed his count over the beaten visitor.

In charge from the outset, Ball was always busier and he moved into an early lead, following his jab with lefts to the head and a sprinkling of telling uppercuts.

Lowe, with former pro Carl Greaves in the corner, proved a game opponent and scored with a fair few right hooks of his own.

But, by the seventh, the Newark opponent was beginning to flag and Ball upped the tempo. The bell sounded with Lowe's back against the ropes under fire and for the first time it looked as if he might not make it through to the end of the ten-rounder.

Ball began the eighth full of confidence and a solid combination to the body and a whipped-in right uppercut both appeared to hurt Lowe.

And when Ball unleashed the left to the body it was all over.

There were successful debuts for Stafford middleweight Grant Cunningham and Sedgley light middleweight Tom Bowen, who saw off Scunthorpe's Davy Jones and Tamworth's Matt Seawright respectively on points.

Cunningham, formerly an amateur with Stafford Town ABC, ran out a 60-53 winner over six two-minute round, cutting his opponeny below the left eye in the later stages of the second. Jones later stumbled to the canvas and received a count in the fifth.

Bowen found the going tougher over four two-minute rounds against the big-swinging Seawright, but earned a 40-37 decision from Swadlincote referee Robert Chalmers.

Cradley featherweight Chris Male wasted no time improving his unbeaten record to 10 wins. There were still 32 seconds to go of the opening round of his scheduled six-rounder when referee Chalmers completed his count over Fikret Remziev Kurdov.

The Bulgarian had been sent sprawling by a left to the head and had already taken one count after being dropped by lefts to both the head and body.

Also maintaining his 100 per cent record was Tipton super bantamweight Lee Glover, who finished off another Bulgarian opponent inside the distance.

Only 37 seconds of the third had elapsed when Plamen Kostadinov, who had already been down in the opener, was counted out. The shot that finished it was a crunching left to the body.

Willenhall's Myles Holder had to share the spoils in a four two-minute round fight against tough Ryan Clark from Waddington in Lincolnshire, referee Chalmers awarding a 38-38 draw.

Walsall's Danny Clews, who won on his debut last month, looked to be heading for his second win but lost out right at the death to Birmingham's Andrew 'Paddy' Patterson.

Just 15 seconds of their four two-minute round contest remained when referee Chalmers stepped in to halt a Patterson attack, with nothing coming back from Clews by way of reply.