Whatever happened in today's light heavyweight semi final, nothing was to detract from Sean McGlinchey's hero status.

The Derry boxer has done his city proud in Glasgow, defying his underdog tag and rampaging the whole way to the last four of the Commonwealth Games, securing a bronze medal for himself.

And although it wasn't to be in his semi final today against the skillful David Nyika of New Zealand, Sean McGlinchey - the unshaken Sean McGlinchey - leaves behind a memorable tournament where he hasn't just ignored the odds and scoffed at the naysayers, he has inspired a generation.

Both boxers attempted to exert their own individual styles on the opening round with the rangy Nyika jumping unpredictably all over the ring.  McGlinchey jumped straight onto the front foot right from the off though by getting inside the New Zealander's long jabs and punishing his body.  The Derry man bulldozed forward at every opportunity and found the man in the blue corner clumsy on the ropes as McGlinchey picked him off in tight areas but as the round went on Nyika got free and managed to connect with the Team NI representative before going on and winning the first bout.

The 18-year-old continued to keep the Oakleaf man at bay with his long levers offering protection and a couple of well-landed punches.  Nyika looked for distance, McGlinchey looked for contact and at one stage in the second round the Derry fighter had the teenager in the corner and managed to rock his opposition but although there was no real heavy purchase on Nyika's punches, he was still scoring consistently with a number of quality shots and he took a unanimous scoring card in his favour into the final round.

Even trailing on all of the judges' scoring coming into the last round, even being picked off with a number of energy-sapping flurries from Nyika, Sean McGlinchey simply refused to wilt as he continued to stubbornly battle right until the last bell, at one stage getting his opposition in the corner with a superb uppercut.

In the end, it wasn't to be as Nyika ran out a unanimous victor and he heads into the final against the brilliant Kennedy St. Pierre of Mauritius who forced Nathan Thorley's corner to throw in the towell just moments earlier before this fight.

Sean McGlinchey heads home.  Not just with a bronze medal though.  Not just having emerged in boxing circles from the outskirts.  But he returns as a hero.

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