Crawley's Alan Gilbert failed in his bid to win the vacant Southern Area middleweight title when he suffered a points loss old rival Allan Gray at the Elephant and Castle.

At the end of ten absorbing and sometimes exciting rounds, referee Jeff Hinds had no hesitation in raising Gray's hand with a 99-93 verdict.

Gilbert, 31, saw his record drop to five wins, nine losses and two draws, but on the evidence of this showing he has still got plenty to offer.