REECE McFADDEN, already one of the stories of these Games, used his gloves to blow kisses to his now adoring public after taking his customary end of contest bow.

There was no such grandstanding from Josh Taylor later in the day. His gloves were utilised purely and simply to hammer home a statement so emphatic that the entire Commonwealth could feel the reverberations.

The 23-year-old southpaw has, along with McFadden and Charlie Flynn, ensured Team Scotland will boast a minimum of three medallists in the boxing competition, with the country's remaining three fighters endeavouring to join them in the semi-finals later today.

Taylor's systematic destruction of Welshman Zack Davies at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre in the last eight of the 64kg light-welterweight division makes you believe all the more that at least one of them is destined to win gold.

The Prestonpans boxer, who won silver in Delhi four years ago, needed a strong finish to edge a fascinating first round. From that moment on, though, he took his man apart with the clinical care of a forensic surgeon.

Taylor forced Finnish referee Allan Roos to administer a standing count on Davies after he staggered the Welshman with a right hook. A right uppercut put his opponent on the floor in the third and made the unanimous decision a formality.

Davies believes the winner of Taylor's semi-final match-up with Sam Maxwell, of England, is certain to become champion.

McFadden built on his magnificent triumphs over Andrew Selby and Charlie Edwards with a deserved points win over Oteng Oteng of Botswana in the 52kg flyweight category. McFadden was much tighter than Oteng from the opening bell, but a cut on the left eyebrow, sustained in an accidental clash of heads in the first round, did cause concern.

"His head was like a coconut, but my eye's fine," said McFadden. "It's a small cut."

The 19-year-old apprentice joiner can barely believe the publicity his heroics continue to attract. "I'm enjoying being a national hero," quipped McFadden. "I can get used to this, man.

"Everybody loves me. Folk want me to sign autographs and have pictures taken. On Friday and Saturday, the whole of Motherwell will be behind me, cheering me on.

"I'm over the moon, but the focus is on the next fight and then the next one until I get that gold."

McFadden harbours no fears over his Australian semi-final opponent, Andrew Moloney, who defeated Ruairi Dalton, of Northern Ireland, after crossing swords with him during a Team Scotland sparring trip Down Under two months ago "I am more than capable of beating him," said McFadden. "I have sparred with him and got the better of him there."

Flynn faced one or two more difficult moments against Jessie Lartey of Ghana, a rangy southpaw, in the 60kg lightweight category, but deserved the unanimous points victory that lined up an attractive semi-final contest with Joe Cordina, of Wales.

Lartey was told off for use of the head and was guilty of opening up a cut over Flynn's right eye, but did not possess quite enough to match the Motherwell-based fighter's aggression and cleaner punching.

Team Scotland's only defeat of the day was suffered by Ross Henderson, who saw his campaign at super- heavyweight end at the quarter-final stage against Joe Joyce, of England, with the Argentinian referee, Gerardo Poggi, bringing the contest to a halt with just 10 seconds remaining.

Henderson was put down twice in the first round with powerful rights to the body and then floored in both the second and third with thunderous lefts, but the Motherwell-based boxer getting back to his feet and moving forward in search of the knockout required to drag the contest out of the fire.

The women's tournament delivered a surprise yesterday with England's Tasha Jonas losing by split decision to Shelly Woods, of Australia, at lightweight.