ATA WAY TO DO IT, by Peter Savage at the Women's European Club Championships in Berlin

Mystery solved. Ata Sport are good. Canterbury are better. It was some energetic and imaginative play that broke down the team from Azerbaidschan’s close marking, and despite some early scares in the first half, Canterbury looked much the better side. Canterbury initially concentrated on gaining territorial advantage before going onto the offensive. Cathy Gilliat-Smith shaved the near post with a well taken shot after ten minutes and it soon became clear that a Canterbury goal was only a matter of time. It was Gilliat-Smith who was on target fifteen minutes later when Jenny Wilson made one of her trademark passes from the right and Gilliat-Smith calmly struck the ball home. In the second half Gilliat-Smith was again on the score sheet when she collected a pass from Nikki Triggs on the twenty-five and drifted the ball into the Azerbaidschan goal. You could have been forgiven for thinking that the Houslop sisters were not the only twins on the pitch. Mel Clewlow seemed to be everywhere, and it was a Clewlow corner that gave Canterbury their third goal. At previous corners Clewlow had dummied the ball and then laid it off to her left. This time she just struck it first time. Fominova in the Ata goal was substituted shortly afterwards. Final score 3-0 to Canterbury. Players of the match were again undoubtedly Clewlow and Wilson, but Gilliat-Smith effectiveness in front of goal and Jenny Milne’s running on the right wing made this a comprehensive victory for the Kent team. They will almost certainly meet Den Bosch in the final, but whatever happens tomorrow the girls from Kent have acquitted themselves with honour today.