Glasgow 2014: Northern Ireland win first golds as Scots also shine

Josh Taylor of Scotland (left) won gold along with fellow Scot Charlie Flynn and Northern Ireland's Paddy Barnes (right)

Boxers Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan have claimed Northern Ireland's first gold medals of Glasgow 2014.

First Barnes beat India's Devendro Laishram in the light-flyweight final at a packed SSE Hydro Arena, becoming the first home nations boxer to defend a Commonwealth Games title.

Bantamweight Conlan then saw off England's Qais Ashfaq.

Scotland then got in on the act, with golds for Charlie Flynn (lightweight) and Josh Taylor (light-welterweight).

Flynn beat Northern Ireland's Joe Fitzpatrick before Taylor outclassed the awkward Namibian Junias Jonas.

In the evening session England won four more gold medals to top the boxing medal table.

Northern Ireland's boxers have won a remarkable nine medals in all - two gold, two silver and five bronze - out of a total medal tally of 12.

Scotland finish with two golds and two bronzes, while Wales managed five bronzes. England ended with five golds, one silver and one bronze. They top the medal table due to the greater number of golds.

Barnes, a two-time Olympic bronze medallist, beat Laishram in the quarter-finals at London 2012 and was awarded a unanimous decision in Glasgow.

Belfast boxer Barnes, the defending champion, started faster than his rival and won the first two rounds on all three judges' scorecards. Laishram came on furiously in the final round but Barnes had already done enough.

Conlan and tricky Leeds southpaw Ashfaq were difficult to separate in the first round, which included lots of scrappy exchanges on the inside.

But Conlan, who also won bronze at London 2012 and suffered a bad cut in his semi-final victory over Wales's Sean McGoldrick, made his greater experience tell as the fight wore on, switching stances at will, to earn a unanimous decision.

Fitzpatrick, 19, had a height and reach advantage over his 20-year-old opponent, but Flynn was able to bulldoze his way through his rival's defences.

The Motherwell boxer, who upset Wales' Joe Cordina in the semi-finals, was deservedly awarded a unanimous decision, to the delight of the home fans.

Taylor, who boxed at London 2012, was given a tough fight but landed with the cleaner shots throughout and was awarded a unanimous decision. Jonas's silver medal is his country's first at this year's Games.

In the flyweight final, Australia's Andrew Moloney outpointed Muhammad Waseem, thus denying Pakistan their first gold medal of the Games.

Paddy Barnes (right) is a member of the same Belfast boxing club as Glasgow 2014 silver medallist Michaela Walsh

Northern Ireland's Michael Conlan (right) gets the better of England's Qais Ashfaq

Postman Charlie Flynn won lightweight gold for Scotland

Josh Taylor then doubled Scotland's golden tally by beating tricky Namibian Junias Jonas