Anne Ryan clinches victory as Scottish senior women strike gold in Berlin

Scotland struck gold for the first time in the European Senior Women's Amateur Team Championship at Sporting Club, Berlin, and the Scots' over-55 men's squad gained bronze medals on the final day of the European Senior Men's Amateur Team Championship at Fairhaven, Lancashire.

The Scotland over-50s women beat the favourites and top seeds England 3-2 in the final. Qualifying sixth of eight for the match-play stages, the squad captain by Pamela Williamson (Baberton) had scored good wins on their way to the final but England were the overwhelming favourites on paper.

England took a 2-0 lead in the final, but the Scots came back with a tremendous rally to level the contest at 2-2.

Then Tain's Anne Ryan, a debutante at this level of the representative golf, kept her nerve splendidly to achieve the title-gaining victory over Susan Dye in the last match to finish. Ryan, whose sister Mary Smith was also in the team, was two holes up at the turn against Susan Dye and won by 3 and 2.

Earlier English senior stroke-play champion Caroline Masson, four up at the turn, had beaten St Andrews-based Fiona de Vries (St Rule) by 5 and 4. And England had gone 2-0 up when Rozalyn Adams, also four up at the turn, won by 5 and 4 against Heather Anderson from Alyth.

Then the Scotland glory run for gold started. Mary Smith (Tain) and Moira Thomson (Gullane Ladies) won the foursomes tie by 2 and 1 against Janet Melville and Felicity Christine after being all square at the turn.

Lorna Bennett (Ladybank) levelled it overall at 2-2 by beating Christine Quinn by one hole after leading by that margin at the turn. Then came Ryan's great effort. She and Mary deserved a ticker-tape welcome when they got home to Tain in Ross-shire.

In the men's event in Lancashire, the Scots beat Spain 3-2 in the play-off for the bronze medals.

The gold medals and the European title were won by defending champions England, who beat the No 1 seeds, Ireland, 4 1/2-1/2 in the final.

Switzerland went into a 1-0 lead when Enrique Fontecilla and Juan Carolos beat Ian Taylor (Royal Burgess) and Colin Christy (Kilmacolm) by one hole in a tight foursomes match. The sides had been all square at the turn.

Scotland then took the next three games for a winning lead, thanks to the efforts of Tony Stafford (Dun Ochil), Scott MacDonald (Dunfermline) and David Gardner (Broomieknowe).