LIAM Conroy put the disappointment of missing out on a British light-heavyweight title eliminator behind him as he got up off the canvas to defeat feisty Frenchman Baptiste Castegnaro.

Conroy had been set to face Tomi Tatham on the undercard of Anthony Crolla’s world lightweight title clash against Jorge Linares, only for Tatham to pull out with a back injury.

That meant a high-stakes bout amid the super-charged atmosphere of a Sky-televised show was replaced by a low-profile six-round contest against a tough journeyman to kick off Saturday night’s boxing extravaganza.

But if the 5.05pm start meant the cavernous Manchester Arena was sparsely populated when Conroy stepped through the ropes, it also meant his loyal and vocal travelling support from Furness could be heard even louder than normal.

What those fans witnessed was a tricky but triumphant night for Conroy against a 25-year-old who, although not boasting a great career record, has never been stopped and whose attacking armoury had seen four of his previous opponents stopped inside the distance.

And it was Castegnaro’s dangerous right hand that caused Conroy trouble at the end of the fourth round when the 24-year-old from Barrow slipped to the ground with the Frenchman on top of him.

Conroy felt he had been barged over rather than caught with a clean shot, but the referee thought differently and gave him a standing count.

Having negotiated the first three rounds without getting into too much bother, the standing count meant Conroy would have to stay strong and dominant in the final two rounds to convince the judges.

He managed it, but not without a few scares along the way against a very awkward opponent whose flying forays resulted in the Barrow ABC product requiring three stitches to a cut above his left eye.

Conroy had gone into the contest in great condition mentally and physically, and still bouncing from collecting his second title of the year three months ago.

That victory over Ferenc Albert in June earned Conroy the World WBC Youth Silver Light Heavyweight to add to the British Challenge Light Heavyweight crown he won at the start of the year. But after those glory nights this was a reality check. It was not the kind of contest Conroy had wanted – a scrappy brawl where guts and determination were put to the test as much as boxing skills.

The opening three rounds saw Conroy appear the more controlled and composed, but he had to be on his guard to avoid a succession of frenzied right hand-led bursts from Castegnaro. Conroy was finding it difficult to get through the defences of a rough and rugged opponent who likes to mix it up, and the Barrow man struggled to find any rhythm, aside from a few good combination body shots.

Thankfully, after the standing count in the fourth, he managed to regain his focus to edge the final two rounds and claim a narrow 59-57 points victory.

Conroy was left a bit disappointed and frustrated by his night’s work, but ultimately it’s another win and another valuable experience. And getting the chance to fight at one of the biggest boxing arenas in Britain will have done Conroy no harm at all, as his trainer Johnney Roye prepares him for bigger bouts ahead – starting with a divisional title shot in Preston in November.