Hightown pay ultimate price for their weak finishing

Hockey

Hightown will today play Glasgow Western for the bronze medal in the A Division of the Women's Club Championship. The Merseysiders' hopes of going for gold fell apart yesterday when they were beaten 3-0 by Berliner, who play the host club HGC in today's final. Western stunned the home crowd as they took an early lead against the Dutch before going down 4- 2.

Paying the penalty for weak finishing in the opening session, Hightown found themselves forced back into defence, allowing the Germans to take the lead in the 16th minute through Melanie Hansler. With Linda Carr sweeping well for Hightown and the goalkeeper Carolyn Reid in commanding form, the Germans were held to the interval.

Carr moved into midfield after the break, which did little other than leave space at the back for the Germans to exploit eight minutes into the second half. Natascha Keller bundled her way through a hesitant Hightown defence to beat Reid at close quarters for Berliner's second goal. Five minutes later a switch at another penalty corner was finished off by Wibke Weisel for Berliner's third.

The men's A Division final will also be a Dutch-German contest. The host club beat Spain's Egara 3-1 to meet Harvestehuder, who just edged out the Polish side, Pocztowiec.

Hightown: C Reid; L Carr; M Morton, C Gilbert, K Walsh; J Aspin, F Lee, L Newcombe; M Souyave, T Cullen (capt), Y Williams. Substitutes used: M Liptrot, D Mills.

Berliner: I Fischer; D Haustein; B Latif, W Weisel, T Hayn; S Vogel, B von Livonius; I Moller, K Koppe, N Keller (capt), M Hansler. Substitutes used: L Mascha, U von Frankenberg, B Schulz, S Muller.

Umpires: V Gemert (Neth), L Santiago Pinar (Sp).

n In the Men's B Division in Cagliari, Italy, Cannock could only draw 2-2 with Amsicora in their last pool game, committing Reading, the English champions, to the second rank next season.