BELFAST, Northern Ireland -- Lewis Crocker produced a disciplined showing, complete with two knockdowns, to a 12-round majority decision win in his Paddy Donovan rematch while adding the vacant IBF welterweight world title to his collection on home soil.

Ringside judges Pawel Kardyni (114-112) and Matteo Montella (114-113) scored it in Crocker's favour to overrule Reece Carter's 115-111 Donovan card, warming Belfast hearts on a chilly night in the country's capital as they crowned a new world champion.

Matchroom's full 10-fight card, topped by a historic maiden all-Irish world title fight, was streamed worldwide on DAZN.

As a cacophonous noise greeted the first bell, we were met with a methodical feeling out phase in the early stages. Crocker knew he needed to be sharper and more defensively sound than he managed on March 1 but Donovan seized centre ring almost immediately.

Donovan (14-2, 11 KOs) landed the round's most noteworthy shot, digging down to the body, in the final seconds and his team were delighted by that sight.

The best way to describe this visual: fencing. Crocker landed subtly behind his right hand up close as you could hear a smattering of crowd boos, as if to say, when will this encounter explode? Crocker threatened to do so, but stayed patient and held back after six minutes.

A cagey affair had its first big moment in the third: Crocker (22-0, 11 KOs) catching Donovan with a single-shot counter left as the pre-fight favourite advanced towards the ropes. While he didn't complain, his team were quick to claim it was merely a loss of footing.

Nonetheless, a flash knockdown it was and referee Howard Foster had no issue letting play continue as the twitchy Donovan finished a round he lost by having the final say.

"Don't worry about that round, you won the first two so it's fine, in the second-half of the round you were breaking him down," his coach Andy Lee's voice trailed off. That well-intentioned quote didn't age well, instead that show of confidence had the opposite effect.

Midway through the fourth, Crocker was on unsteady legs as Donovan wobbled him with a vicious left of his own before the home hero countered brilliantly with a howitzer of a right.

Both had their moments in a round you couldn't take your eyes off, aware the other might reply immediately - without warning. Josh Taylor suggested on BBC commentary Crocker looked more trim and lighter than six months ago, perhaps refuelling more tactically to aid movement and downsize. The IBF's 10-pound rehydration limit would help with that.

He needed every percentage point to keep Donovan at bay, the Limerick man flicking out his jab and going downstairs, before a beautifiul short left hook suddenly floored Donovan.

This time, he looked less clear-eyed as the round ended dramatically, now having a minute with which to recover. If that punch had connected any earlier, this would've been all over.

Crocker blocked his pit-pat shots well, staying disciplined behind his Philly shell defence midway through six and Donovan's output was more measured, naturally wary after being stung - now trailing on the scorecards after dropping 10-8 rounds in quick succession.

The older man's footwork was sharp too, though neither man could carve open many noteworthy opportunities in a slow-burning seventh.

Crocker knew he couldn't afford to lose his shape or open up excessively, as Donovan would be on hand to fire, but this methodical approach had its drawbacks - not doing enough to win closely-contested rounds convincingly.

As they entered the fight's final third, this was still conceivably up for grabs - depending on how judges were scoring these rounds, no highlight reel punches to remember but Crocker's patience took many by surprise. Not only would he sustain it, he embraced the long game and countered with stinging right hands to freeze Donovan in centre ring.

"Six minutes, do you want this?" was the rhetorical question Crocker's head coach Billy Nelson asked of his pupil before round 11 while Lee was increasingly urgent in the opposite corner - neither could be comfortable watching this tick by.

Donovan opened up with flurries in the final minute of the penultimate round, Crocker's counters had slowed but he held his feet and moved forward against a busier puncher again. A triumphant shake of the fist from Donovan, in a chess match where optics can make all the difference, was another sign he consciously knew just how tight this could be.

Members of Team Donovan were exchanging quizzical glances ringside, wondering how this was being scored without rose-tinted glasses on, but so-so reactions came instead.

Their man needed a memorable finish and he did his utmost midway through the round, making Crocker miss with a windmill right before flashing flurries to face and body. Crocker gamely replied - how could he not - landing a right hand before celebrating a job well done.