CLEARY’S star Jake Finch fell agonisingly short of a gold medal in the Elite 56kgs category at the Haringey Boxcup.
In his first international bout, Finch was up against last year’s Haringey champion Tommy Casey of St Francis ABC in Ireland.
In a hard-fought contest, Finch did not look out of place.
Many thought he had done enough to win when Casey was on the ropes but unfortunately for Finch he was beaten on a split decision.
Head coach Edwin Cleary said: “I’m so excited about Jake as he’s really come of age this season.
“He’s gone up in weight and pushed on since winning the developments in October.
“Jake is only 18 and his developments path reminds me a lot of Cleary’s GB boxer Lewis Williams.
“He understands the game and isn’t afraid to be pushed on and push himself.
“He believes in being matched the right way.
“You can hold him back and pick his opponents to build his record but in the long run matching hard will be more beneficial.
“Losing on a close split to a national champion and a top class boxer proves if Jake keeps on improving the next few years will be very exciting.”
