'I need to do my Duolingo!' - Walsh after semi-final win

Team Northern Ireland boxers Michaela Walsh, Kaci Rock and Jon McConnell won their respective semi-finals to move into Saturday’s gold medal bouts.

Walsh defeated Fiji’s Jasmine Daunakamakama in the women’s featherweight by unanimous decision.

The 33-year-old edged a cagey first round with her experience telling in the next two rounds which she also won as she eased to victory.

The Holy Family fighter, who has earned a medal in each of her four successive Games appearances, will look to win back-to-back golds after triumphing four years ago, having won silver in Glasgow in 2014 and at the Gold Coast Games in 2018.

She will face India’s Jaismine Jaismine in the final, but plans to enjoy her semi-final win which guarantees at least another silver, by completing her Irish lesson for the day on the language app Duolingo.

“I was actually quite nervous today, more nervous than normal, I don’t know why but I went in and stuck to the gameplan,” she said.

“That girl [Daunakamakama] was in training camp with us in Belfast but I didn’t get any rounds with her. I remember seeing her and thinking ‘oh she’s a good girl’ so I had to get the tactics right and thank God I did.

“One more to go, I’m just going to enjoy today, recover, I need to do my Duolingo! I’m nearly on my 300-day streak of Irish so I’ll go back, do that, get a bit of food and recover.”

Rock is competing in her first Commonwealth Games [Getty Images]

Rock beat Scotland’s Caitlyn Rainey in the women’s welterweight by split decision after a ferocious fight.

The 23-year-old had work to do after losing the first round but she fought back well in a much-tighter second round and pressed on in an entertaining third to take a narrow 3-2 victory.

Rock will face England’s Sacha Hickey for the chance to come away from her first Commonwealth Games with a gold medal.

“I’m ecstatic, that was such a tough fight and being down in the first round, the panic sets in but I just dug deep,” she told BBC Sport NI.

“I think it shows what it meant, crying in the ring I never thought that would be me, you’d think I’d won it the way I was carrying on! But that’s what it means, it’s amazing, but the job’s not done.”

McConnell picked up a unanimous decision win over Scotland’s Sonny Kerr and is now too one win away from a debut gold.

McConnell won a frenetic first round and while Kerr roared back in the second, the 23-year-old landed better with his shots to win the next two and he will now progress to face Wales’ Orlando Holley-Sotomi.

Garyn McAllister was forced to settle for bronze as he suffered a unanimous decision defeat in the men’s heavyweight against Conor Williams from Wales.

Jude Gallagher is the last boxer aiming to upgrade on the bronze he has already won when he takes on Tryagain Morning Ndevelo from Namibia at 20:45 BST in the men’s lightweight.