THURSDAY 26TH FEBRUARY AT THE KINGSWAY LEISURE CENTRE WIDNES COVENTRY'S GARETH PAYNE STEPPED IN AS A LAST MINUTE SUBSTITUTE AGAINST LIVERPOOL'S DERRY MATHEWS.  FULL PRAISE TO GARETH FOR GOING IN AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE AGAINST THIS TALL GANGLY OPPONENT BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE THIS LAD WAS A GOOD TEN YEARS YOUNGER THAN GARETH AND WAS A VERY SKILFUL BOXER AND PUNISHED GARETH WITH SOME VERY  POWERFUL SHOTS GARETH TRIED TO RALLY ROUND BUT JUST HAD NO ANSWERS TO MATHEWS THE REFEREE STEPPED IN TO SAVE GARETH TAKING ANY MORE PUNISHMENT  MIDWAY THROUGH ROUND FOUR. GARETH YOU WERE A BRAVE MAN TO TAKE THIS FIGHT AT SUCH SHORT NOTICE BUT DONT BE TO DISHEARTENED YOU WERE UP AGAINST A FIGHTER RANKED 4TH IN THE U.K. AND 11TH IN EUROPE  SO LET US SEE YOU GET BACK IN SHAPE AND BOUNCE BACK FOR SOME MORE GOOD SCRAPS.