Eric 'Lilywhite Lightning' Donovan capped a brilliant night of boxing at 'Clash of the Titans' on Saturday to claim the Irish featherweight title.

The Athy native stopped a game Stephen McAfee in the fourth round after a vicious body shot called an early halt to the bout at a packed National Stadium.

The pressure was all on Donovan heading into the fight given his decorated amateur career but he lived up to those expectations with a stellar performance which he expects to kickstart his professional career.

Speaking to Off The Ball after the fight, he said: "I'm feeling good. It's a great achievement for me and a great moment for me and my family.

"I'm happy with the performance as well. It was nice to get a knock-out win via body shot. What can I say? It was a brilliant night for me overall.

"It was so important [to get the win] - there was a lot at stake. I feel like I've gotten a second chance but this was like a finale of my second chance. 'Is he good enough? Let's give him the platform - let's give him the main event. An Irish title [fight] and put an unbeaten boxer in front of him who is a bit of a puncher. He's been training with two competent coaches: Kenneth Egan and Joe Clifford for the last 12 weeks - he should be ready'.

"You know, there was a lot of expectations of myself so I wanted to deliver. I knew going out here tonight that I didn't wanted to get in and have a dull shut-out points win. I really wanted to shine. I feel like I did but I feel like there's more left in me."

Donovan is Athy's first Elite Senior Champion and now becomes the town's first professional champion but he's not content to stop there: "I'm enjoying boxing and loving it. The spark is there. I want to become the best that I can. I think there's more in the tank for me to achieve...I believe I can become a European Champion."

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.