Michaela Walsh defeated on a split decision in World Championships

The Irish team in Korea has now been whittled away to just Katie Taylor, who boxed her quarter-final early this morning against Olympic silver medallist, Russia's Sofya Ochigava.

The bout was, for many the final and came to pass at the midpoint of the competition because of the decision of the international governing AIBA, not to allow seeding at the championships.

But throughout the week there has been possibly more disappointment than elation in the Irish camp and yesterday that theme continued.

Following Clare Grace having to withdraw because of the freakishly bad cut over her eye, Belfast's young hope Michaela Walsh departed after a bout that rewarded the fighter who refused to blink first.

Deliberate contest

After eight minutes it was Walsh, who narrowly lost her game of chess with

Anna Alimardanova

. A southpaw counter puncher the

Azerbaijan

fighter stalked the ring inviting the Belfast girl onto her gloves from the onset.

Walsh cautiously made her moves, her opponent scoring off her when she did. It was a tight, deliberate contest with few real exchanges and none of the orchestral power plays of punching demonstrated by Katie Taylor and Mira Potkonen in their lightweight bout immediately after.

Alimardanova was comfortable from the first round sitting back and waiting for Walsh to provide targets. Inevitably that happened as the Irish girl was forced to press forward to score points.

It was a game of patience and narrow margins separating the two, both of them flicking out jabs and circling each other looking for ways in to score.

More aggressive

Walsh was the more aggressive throughout and especially in the final round when she brought up the tempo.

She largely had her opponent backing off but Alimardanova had poise and although in reverse a lot of the time did not lose control.

The referee had to step in and tell the two of them to start fighting in the first round, when they were feeling out the lie of the land, which is not uncommon and something Irish Olympic medallist John Joe Nevin was prone to doing when he was a top amateur.

But in the end Walsh fell just short, the divided judges awarding the fight to the canny Alimardanova.

“I thought I nicked the first round,” said Ireland’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist. “She didn’t do much. The second round was close. I would have given her the third round and in the fourth round she didn’t want to know. I don’t know how she got it on a split decision but that’s how it goes...

“I’m gutted,” she added.

“I lost on a split decision when I was clearly the most dominant boxer and knocked her down in the last round. Boxing can be cruel.”

Alimardanova would argue it was a slip in the last round but the truth is the fight was so close to call and that it fell into the subjective lap of the judges.

Walsh was certainly the most aggressive boxer in the ring but perhaps not so for the entire bout.