ALLOA boxer Eva Hynd continued her impressive year in the ring by winning gold at the Wexford Box Cup in Ireland.
The 15-year-old secured top spot with a unanimous points victory over Shauna McDonagh of Swords Boxing Club in Dublin.
Eva was one of three Alloa Boxing Club fighters competing at the tournament, with Aoife O'Halloran and Leon "Hurricane" Hutchison also testing themselves against experienced Irish opposition.
In the final, Eva took control of the centre of the ring early, using her jab and back hand to good effect.
She built on that start in the second and third rounds, putting more punches together and keeping her composure to secure a unanimous decision and the gold medal.
The triumph comes after the youngster recently represented Scotland against Ireland, where she narrowly lost on points to six-time Irish champion and European U15 silver medallist Macie O'Connor following three closely fought rounds.
Her Wexford success adds to an impressive year which has also seen her earn a place in Boxing Scotland's Next Generation Group.
There was no medal for teammate Aoife, but the 16-year-old gave another strong account of herself against experienced opposition.
She lost a close points decision to Lauren Crinnion of Fr Horgan's Boxing Club in Cork in what was only her 11th bout.
Remarkably, it was already the second time Aoife had faced a boxer with World Championships experience, and she more than held her own in a contest which could have gone either way.
The result comes shortly after Aoife was offered a full-time place on Boxing Scotland's Elite Boxer Group High-Performance Programme.
Leon was handed another major test on the opening day of the Wexford tournament as he came up against nine-time Irish champion and internationalist Michael Reilly of St Paul's Boxing Club in Waterford.
The Alloa boxer started strongly before Reilly came back into the contest during the second round, leaving the fight finely poised heading into the third.
Reilly eventually edged the decision, but the quality of the contest was recognised when it was named Bout of the Day.
It capped an exceptionally busy spell for Leon, who fought four times in the space of a week, with three of those contests coming against internationalists.
He is due to attend further Boxing Scotland assessments in December as he looks to earn a place in the Elite Boxer Group.
William Boyle had also been due to make the trip to Ireland but missed the tournament as he continues his recovery from injury, while Xander Rooney was also unable to compete.
Reflecting on the weekend as a whole, Alloa Boxing Club said: "It’s been a fantastic weekend for Aoife, Eva and Leon, with all three showing the level they’re now competing at.
"They’ve been in against some top-quality opposition and more than proved they belong at this level.
"We’ve got a great wee stable of boxers at Alloa Boxing Club just now, and it’s brilliant to see all the hard work being put in at the gym paying off.
"The dedication, attitude and commitment from this group is second to none, and there’s still so much more to come from them!"
The club also thanked its sponsors and everyone who supported its fundraising scratchcards, saying their backing helped make the trip to Ireland possible.
It added: "Your support makes trips like this possible and gives our boxers the opportunity to test themselves against some of the best around.
"Proud of all three of you. The future is looking bright for Alloa Boxing Club!"
Share