With Fiona in quarantine as a result of husband Dougie’s bout of the dreaded lurgy, and Rob away, Team MacConnachie were without two key players and potentially in trouble – but that was not to count on the support of super-subs Ken (particularly busy at the moment, coming off the back of a big victory the night before) and John. Meanwhile Team Morrison was complete and original, if perhaps a little worried about facing a rink of ringers.
The game was hard fought with fortunes ebbing and flowing as both sides showed flashes of brilliance and occasional stumbles. The result was arguably a just one, ending as it did in peels with each side on seven points.
It started badly for Team MacConnachie as Team Morrison built up a strong head and guarded it well – first blood to Team Morrison with a four.
However, Team MacConnachie were undaunted, pulling back two points in each of the second and third ends to leave it level pegging as we went into the fourth end.
Now the pendulum swung back to Team Morrison who took the next two ends by a point in each.
But then in the sixth, the advantage turned once more to Team MacConnachie with a splendid three – Skip Morrison had failed to shift the two lead stones leaving the way clear for MacConnachie to execute a virtuoso draw with his last stone for the extra point.
Into the seventh and final end it was all to play for. Team MacConnachie seemed to have the edge and built a position of having two stones counting and various stones guarding – on his last stone skip MacConnachie merely needed to block the remaining route to the centre to be assured of victory. But disaster, his stone fell short, failing to reach the hog line. Morrison needed no second invitation – his aim was true and he shifted his opponent’s stones sufficiently to lie one. The result; a draw.
John W. 12th November 2021
Holyrood Curling Club 