BRADFORD boxer Ashley Vanzie could not make it third time lucky at the National ABA Elite Championships.

The light-heavyweight, boxing for the Platinum club, was hoping to go one better in Liverpool after two second-placed finishes in recent years.

But Vanzie's hopes were dashed in the quarter-finals when he dropped a points decision to George Crotty of the Royal Navy.

It was a frustration for Vanzie, the younger brother of former British lightweight champion Bobby, but he has still had a good year.

He earned selection for the Great Britain squad and believes he has developed while training alongside top names.

Vanzie said: "I have trained there for three months doing three hard sessions a day. It took some getting used to but my body adapted.

"I learned a lot training next to the likes of Anthony Joshua and other Olympians such as Nicola Adams."

Vanzie boxed three times in a week to qualify for Liverpool, beating unbeaten 16-win prospect Mally Wright, southpaw Mitchell Osborne and Williams Simpson in the Yorkshire final.

But he was unable to follow up with his first national 81kg title. That was won by Thomas Whittaker-Hart of Liverpool, the first home-town winner for 15 years.

Bradford College Boxing Academy had three finalists at the Echo Arena – but no gold medal.

Lightweight Cory O'Regan was beaten in the best of the finals when he lost to two-weight national champion Calum French.

Second seed Jade Ashmore lost the female 52kg showpiece to Preston opponent Lisa Whiteside, while flyweight Ismail Khan was beaten by William Cawley (Oldham).