Ryan Garner proved to be the goods tonight in his first ever 12-rounder, dominating Salvador Jimenez to claim the European junior-lightweight title in front of his home fans on the south coast.

'The Piranha' dominated throughout, landing piercing combinations and fighting at a ferocious pace to claim the 130-pound EBU strap on a Queensberry card which took place at the Bournemouth International Centre and was shown on TNT Sports.

The judges' scorecards were unanimous, reading 120-108 three times in favour of Garner.

The action started right from the very first bell, both men electing two trade shots in the pocket, but it was from distance when Garner's work really shone through.

Garner's jab was a key shot in the opening rounds as every time Spaniard Jimenez (14-1-1, 6 KOs) came forward to attack, he was met with the punch each time. Garner meant business, and a raucous crowd packed with Southampton fans responded in kind with their voices.

Saints fan Garner (17-0, 8 KOs) increased the front-foot pressure in the second round, and it was clear for all to see that Jimenez was struggling with the pace. He landed his fair share of shots, the visitor, but Garner's sharp counters were what caught the eye.

The third and fourth rounds saw Garner set a relentless pace. There was an electric edge to his performance after the first 12 minutes of action; landing an entire arsenal of shots from mid-range.

More beautiful work came from Garner's direction in the fifth round. Volume, accuracy and confidence were orders of the day for the home fighter, whose work-rate had only increased from the first couple of rounds.

Discouraged in his corner, up rose Jimenez for the sixth, where Garner really went to work with some eye-catching shots which 'Salvi' had no response for at all.

Body-punching became Garner's modus operandi in the second half of the fight and there were signs that Jimenez would wilt under the pressure his opponent was putting on him.

But Jimenez wouldn't yield. He wasn't winning the fight at all, but his determination to keep going was there for all to see. Garner would tire a little in the eighth; the result of his previous seven rounds of sustained pressure.

Garner upped the pace once again in the 10th, scuppering any hopes Jimenez had of getting back into the fight after a slower ninth round. Right hands, left hooks, jabs, you name it. They all landed on Jimenez in the final few rounds of the fight.

Brief flurries were all that Jimenez could muster in the 11th round, but Garner was the man in total control. At the sound of the bell in the 12th, Garner could raise his aloft before waiting to hear any judges' scores; the benefits of having left it all in the ring.

'Ryan Garner, he's one of our own' chanted the crowd on a memorable night where the Piranha finally realised a dream he'd likely promised himself years ago.

"I'm going to have to get used to the fact I've got two belts now, and now I've got to get more," Garner said in his post-fight interview.

"Frank Warren has stuck by me through thick and thin, and now I'm repaying him. I can't thank my trainer, my missus, my mum - all for sticking with me through it all.

"The support has been mental, that was my first ever 12-rounder, not even in sparring have I done 12. The fans pushed me right to the very end. It's one of the best performances of my career, I set a fast pace but he was as tough as they come.

"I'm slowly but surely going through the levels now. Who knows, the dream is St Mary's. I can't thank Southampton as a whole enough."