STOURPORT welterweight Ernie Smith was never going to find the going easy against Dewsbury puncher Steve Conway at Wakefield's Light Waves Leisure Centre -- so his 60-54 six-round points defeat came as no real surprise.

Taking part in his 80th professional bout, Smith found himself against the evening's top of the bill and while he conceded every round against a man who had previously contested a British title. Conway took a 30-6 winning record into the bout and he contributed well without ever really being troubled.

Preston referee Phil Edwards did have to warn the two boxers to tidy things up a little when the contest began to get a little scrappy, but the misdemeanours were mild and the bout was in the main a gentlemanly affair.

The heavily tattooed Yorkshireman, urged on by a noisy following, pressed forward relentlessly in search of victory but Smith remained unfazed and exploded back across the ring when the opportunities arose.

There were no complaints at the scoring and once again Smith had proved his worth and lasted the distance against a highly-rated opponent.