CRYMYCH'S 15-year-old boxing twins Ioan and Garan Croft brought the curtain down on a long but successful season when they were among 700 competitors from around the world taking part in Ireland's prestigious Monkstown Cup at the weekend.

The tournament – which attracted boxers from the United States, Mongolia, Belgium, Norway and Hungary – was contested over five rings.

The Cardigan ABC pair both had to overcome tough semi-final opponents – southpaw Ioan defeating Ireland's Declan McDonagh on a split decision and Garan just getting the better of England's Jerry Buckland.

In the finals, Ioan boxed Ireland' s Killian Gerahty, a stocky, powerful opponent who was at his best in close and coming forward.

However, Croft managed to keep his space while holding his ground and landed the cleaner shots as Killian tried to get inside to unleash his powerful hooks.

What proved a rare front-foot display by Croft proved enough to earn him a split decision and secure a gold medal.

Garan found himself up against Ireland's six-times champion Mikey Stokes in another well-matched contest in which both showed each other a lot of respect – the Irish boy triumphing on a split.

“I thought Garan might have done just enough, but the split went against him,” said Cardigan ABC head coach Guy Croft.

“No complaints, really – this trip was a great experience for both boys.”