MEL CLEWLOW admits she will be disappointed if Canterbury Hockey Club’s ladies do not win a trophy this season.

Canterbury have enjoyed success in each of the last three years culminating in their Super Cup triumph at Guildford in May.

That victory earned them a return to Europe and they have just learned that the draw for the event in Berlin next June had been kind to them.

The Kent side have missed both the Dutch and Germans and will instead play in a pool which includes the champions of Azerbaijan, Belarus and Spain.

Canterbury open their Premiership campaign on Saturday with a tough game away to Hightown and skipper Clewlow says the club are aiming high.

Clewlow said: "I think this year the league is more open than ever with about seven teams who are good enough to win it.

"After our win in the Super Cup a lot of teams will be gunning for us but I will be disappointed if we don’t win something this season."

Susan Webber and Lucy Burr both miss the trip to Hightown while Nat Seymour is in Chile with England for the Junior World Cup, but Canterbury hope to include new recruits from Ipswich keeper Becky Duggan and forward Cathy Gilliat-Smith.

Meanwhile, David Matthews could make an earlier than expected return for the men as they launch their programme with an attractive match under floodlights against Old Loughtonians at Polo Farm.

The England striker has been plagued with a back problem for the last few months but is ready to play in a match which should also see a debut for new Australian Aaron Goninon.

The game at Polo starts at 6.30pm and before it there will be a minute’s silence in memory of Polo Farm stalwarts Bill Hayes and Jon Ward, both of whom died during the summer.