Dominant Aston back on winning track (From Halesowen News)

Dominant Aston back on winning track

11:48pm Friday 22nd March 2013 in Sport

RYAN Aston returned to winning ways with a dominant performance against Kirill Psonko.

The 22-year-old Priory Park middleweight was always in command against his Lithuanian opponent to win by a wide points margin over four rounds at Leeds Town Hall last night (Friday).

Aston floored Psonko with a left-right combination early in the final round but couldn’t find the finishing blow after his opponent had taken an eight count.

But for Aston, who has been out of action since sustaining a cut in a technical draw with Tyan Booth last November, time in the ring was all important.

Aston said: “It was just great to be back out there and get some rounds under my belt, now I want to keep pushing on.

“I stuck to my tactics as best I could, I was happy to bide my time.

“Now I want to push on.”

Things have not run smoothly for Aston since he suffered a maiden professional defeat to Curtis Valentine in a Midlands title clash last July.

But in the grandiose surroundings of the Town Hall the result of this fight never looked in doubt.

A couple of early left hooks certainly seemed to trouble the Lithuanian, who by round two was spending much of his time near the ropes as a patient Aston stalked him down.

The Dudley man landed with a straight left early in the third and his punches seemed to be growing in power. Early in the fourth, Psonko finally hit the canvas as he was caught by a left-right combination and after taking the eight count from referee John Latham survived intense pressure as Aston sought to finish the contest.

If anything the Dudley man tried too hard and was caught flush by several shots from his opponent in the final minute, before being awarded the fight 40-35 by referee Latham.

Aston, who will be quickly back in action when he fights in Blackpool on April 20, later admitted he had “rushed his work.”

He said: “My distance is still not quite 100 per cent but this was a good four rounder to start the year for me.

“I had some great sparring in the build up to this fight. I felt strong and I felt good.”