BOXING Elite Men's And Women's National Senior And Novice Championships S/Finals & Q/Finals)

Ken Egan cruised into the light heavyweight final of the Irish Daily Star sponsored Elite National Senior Championships following a commanding win over Denis Hogan at the National Stadium in Dublin tonight.

The Neilstown southpaw, who is aiming for an historic tenth Irish senior belt in a row, beat the Grangecon club-man 21-2.

Defending champions Eric Donovan,Willie McLaughlin, Con Sheehan and Darren O'Neill, who received a walkover after Tom O'Donnell pulled out injured, Cathal McMonagle and AIBA World Youth Ray Moylette also progressed to next weekend's deciders.

Donovan, of the St Michael's Athy club, recorded a convincing 10-2 victory over Ciaran Bates.

World Youth champ Moylette was 4-0 down in the first round of a full blooded duel versus defending 64Kg champ Philip Sutcliffe from the Crumlin BC, but turned things around in spectacular fashion to lead 8-5 at the end of the second.

Both boxers ceded two points apiece after receiving public warnings in the third, leaving the score at 10-8 to Westport ace Moylette. However, despite being put under enormous pressure from Sutcliffe in the final two minutes, Moylette held out to win by a two point margin.

Meanwhile, Willie McLaughlin beat Adam Nolan 5-0, while Donegal's Tyrone McCullough came from behind to edge out Belfast's Ryan Lindberg on a razor thin 12-11 count-back after both both boxers were tied at 6-6 after three top class featherweight rounds.

Lindberg was 2-1 up at the end of the first and 5-4 ahead at the end of the second, but McCullough twice restored parity with body shots in the final frame en route to having his hand raised on accepted scores in a repeat of the recent Ulster final which Lindberg won on a 7-6 count-back.

Gary Molloy saw off the challenge Ruairi Dalton in the flyweight decider. An imprsssive 8-2 victory over his Belfast opponent - who had Bernard Dunne's former coach Harry Hawkins working his corner - did the business for the Westmeath man.

St Francis Limerick welterweight, Jessica Lyons, the current Intermediate 69Kg champion, forced Caroline Connolly into a standing count in the first en route to a 10-3 win in the only female semi final of the evening.

The flyweight belt is vacant this year after defending champion Declan Geraghty withdrew because of a hand injury. The featherweight title is also vacant following Carl Frampton's decision to ink a pro deal with Barry McGuigan's stable last year.