Bath's hunt for a major trophy will enter its 10th year after they were beaten 22-16 by Clermont Auvergne in the European Challenge Cup final at the Twickenham Stoop.

Once a mighty club, Bath won an incredible 16 trophies between 1984 and 1996, including five league and cup doubles.

But the once heaving trophy cabinet at the Recreation Ground has been collecting dust since they won the Heineken Cup in 1998.

Defeat also cost them the chance of a place in next season's senior European competition, assuming it eventually goes ahead once the politics have run their course.

Harlequins take the final English Heineken Cup berth by virtue of their seventh-place finish in the Guinness Premiership.

Bath led at half-time following two Olly Barkley penalties but barely deserved to as Clermont had made all the running and blown two golden try-scoring opportunities.

After the interval, the French side were not nearly so generous and scored three times in 16 minutes through winger Julien Malzieu, centre Tony Marsh and fly-half Brock James.

Bath responded well with Joe Maddock jinking over for a brilliant solo try and Barkley's third penalty set up a thrilling finish.

But, once again, the season ended in disappointment for the west countrymen.

Bath began the final with six internationals in the pack - five of them English - and their plan from the outset was to keep the ball tight, even when deep in their own half.

For the best part of an hour it made the final an arm-wrestle. The only flashes of adventure came from Clermont, who are third in the French championship and boast one of the European game's most dangerous runners in Test winger Aurelien Rougerie.

Malzieu proved equally elusive and ploughed through Shaun Berne before Rougerie danced clear of some more weak defending and to within a yard of the line before Bath finally hauled him down.

Barkley booted Bath ahead but Brock James, having missed his first penalty attempt, levelled the scores after David Barnes was penalised for killing the ball.

Bath struggled to contain Clermont's back division and the French side thought they had scored the opening try of the match through full-back Anthony Floch but referee Nigel Owens ruled James' pass had drifted forwards.

The half-hour mark passed with Bath still unable to break into the opposite 22 but their strong-arm tactics did lead to Clermont flanker Sam Broomhall killing the ball and receiving 10 minutes in the sin-bin.

Bath tried to take advantage of the extra man and finally gave David Bory and Nick Abendanon the chance to run at Clermont but they had to settle for a second penalty from Barkley.

Clermont should have led at half-time but Marsh failed to spot the overlap and took contact when Rougerie was waiting in acres of space on the right wing.

But shortly after the interval the French side - still shorthanded - did fashion the opening try.

Floch collected his own chip forward, shrugged off Steve Borthwick and slipped the pass to Malzieu who beat two Bath defenders down the left flank and rounded to score under the posts.

It was a telling moment. James converted, Broomhall returned and Clermont tightened their grip on the match.

Hooker Mario Ledesma burst 25 metres from a cleverly worked Clermont lineout and when the ball was spread cross-field Pierre Mignoni and James combined to send Marsh over on the angled burst.

And before the hour was up Clermont were seemingly out of sight after James dinked a clever chip over the on-rushing Bath defence and collected the ball after a forgiving bounce to score under the posts.

Bath responded with a brilliant solo try from Maddock. A jinking run that took him clear of the Clermont defence before he brilliantly stepped Floch to score under the posts.

It was the kind of invention Bath had lacked but it gave them hope - forlorn hope as it transpired.

Peter Short, with the ball in one hand, drove over from a close-range line-out but the television official ruled he had lost it forward while trying to ground it.

Bath were finally managing the go-forward they had missed for the first hour and Clermont were hanging on to their lead.

Barkley slotted a third penalty to bring Bath within six points and it set up a nailbiting finale.

But after a powerful lineout drive took them under the posts, their final push for victory floundered when Danny Grewcock knocked on.