HENRY’S Gym won a title, silver medal and had five semi-finalists during the prestigious Haringey Box Cup at London’s famous Alexandra Palace.

George Davey headed the roll call for the Acomb club by emerging triumphant in the senior 69kg elite category after defeating highly-rated Swede Mohammed Al-Maliki by a unanimous decision in the final.

A narrow split decision meant Joe Stilgoe, meanwhile, ended three days of boxing as the youth B 69kg runner-up, while stable-mates Rob Magill (senior B 75kg), Jason Imeson (youth A 64kg), Nathan Sheperd (senior B 69kg), Jamie Jackson (youth B 75kg) and Sam Jordan (youth A 64kg) all made the last four of their respective categories.

The performances meant four-year-old Henry’s Gym, owned by York’s former World Championship challenger Henry Wharton, were one of the closest rivals to Team England, who clinched the award for top club.

Davey has now added a Haringey Box Cup title to the two national medals he won in Denmark and the British elite national belt that he won outright.

At Ally Pally, he beat the RAF’s Brad Axe in his quarter-final, recovering from an iffy first round and coming to life during the rest of the fight to finish a unanimous points’ winner.

Next, he faced Bristol’s Ben Demmery (Downend Police ABC) and, when the bout was stopped towards the end of the second round after his opponent suffered a cut, Davey was ahead on points to progress to the final, where South Swedish Boxing Team’s Al-Maliki, who has won medals all around the world, lay in wait.

Davey, with 27 amateur fights to his name, went on to be crowned a convincing victor, with Stilgoe unlucky not to join him on the winners’ podium.

In his final, Stilgoe faced Camberley’s Jack Ford, of the Turners Boxing Academy, who has 12 wins from his 14 bouts.

Ford took the first round, but Stilgoe took the fight to his rival after encouragement from his corner and, having clearly finished the fight the stronger, most ringside observers expected the York man to get the verdict.

He didn’t after a split decision, with Wharton adding: “Joe was a bit disappointed, but a silver medal for his first attempt at Haringey, after boxing three consecutive days, was an unbelievable effort.

“He had only six bouts to his name before travelling to Haringey.”

Earlier, Stilgoe had overcome Birmingham’s Jack Hodgson (Jewellery Quarter), winning the last two rounds clearly after an even first.

He went on to overcome South Swedish’s experienced Markus Lovberg.

Having won a round apiece, Stilgoe upped his game in the last and clinched a split-decision victory.

Jackson and Jordan both received byes in the first round, but were unlucky to bow out on split decisions during their semi-final fights.

After being rocked at the start against tough Londoner Chima Duru (Double Jab ABC) and losing the first round, Jackson rallied well and was the best boxer for the rest of the contest, but could not sway the judges.

Jordan, with 20 bouts to his name compared to South Swedish opponent Roberto Bengtsson’s 76, held his own in a see-saw, tactical battle that went to-and fro and was unlucky not to see his hand raised.

Against an older, aggressive and more-experienced Dylan Patrick (O’Dells Community Pride ABC) in his quarter-final, Imeson had to change his usual style and counterpunch.

But that gave him the opportunity to display some sensational boxing skills and win a unanimous verdict.

In the semi-final, Imeson was pitted against Ireland’s Michael Kinsella (St Anthonys St Patricks), who is rated one of the best in the world with 77 wins from his 87 fights

At 6ft, he was also six inches taller than Imeson who, nevertheless, fought an even first two rounds and looked to have edged the third, only for his opponent to claim a unanimous decision.

Magill extended his 100 per cent amateur record to an eighth bout by stopping Guernsey Amalgamated’s Dave Rice in the second round after two standing counts.

In his semi-final, he also had Salisbury ABC’s Patrick Lacey down on the canvas in the first round and looked to be on top during the next two before, somewhat puzzlingly, being on the reverse end of a unanimous decision.

Sheperd went to the capital having only been boxing for six months, but enjoyed a unanimous decision against quarter-finalist opponent Jamie Hamilton, of Jersey Leonis, after sticking to his task.

Up against Redhill’s much more experienced Alfie Winter (Battlebridge), Shepherd battled gamely before losing the points’ verdict, with Wharton enthusing: “Nathan Sheperd has a bright future, because he is a great talent and a lovely kid. He fought so hard against a kid who looked like he’d been in the gym for 30 years.

“He knew it all and moved around the ring really gracefully. He was probably more polished than Nathan, as you’d expect with his experience, but it was a true semi-final that could have gone either way, although we had no argument when it went to the other kid.”

City of York ABC’s Cam Shaw was also a beaten semi-finalist at Haringey in the senior B 60kg category, overcoming Ian Kelleher (Irish Colleges & Universities) before bowing out to West Ham Boys’ Ailreza Ghadari.