(Apologies – wrote this after the game but forgot to post it. JW 24/2/23)

Team Waterlow had the regular line-up but Team Auld was light on originals.  Dougie and Dee were in attendance but the temporarily absent James was replaced by super-sub Bob Cameron while the holidaying Rob had been unable to find an alternate, despite a club-wide appeal several days earlier.  So then there were three.

I sometimes wonder if these reports should be written by the losers of the game rather than the winners. That way we would perhaps gain a greater insight into the anguish felt over the result.  The sense of “what might have been” and “if only”; the internal howl of despair at the unfairness of it all.  And in this case, the loser’s perceived injustice of Team Waterlow overtaking them in the dying throws of the game?

By the sixth end, team Auld could quite justifiably be feeling pretty confident.  They were leading six stones to four and were asking questions of Team Waterlow that weren’t really being answered.  Team W’s score of four was largely down to just one (admittedly stunning) shot in the third end from Jim Craig who had blasted clean through a gap narrower than Rishi Sunak’s trouser leg to clear the centre of the opposition’s stone to lie three.  Other than that, fireworks from Team W were notably absent.

But then in the seventh end it happened again. Another three gained by Team W thanks to a pretty outlandish shot. In order to clear an outlying Auld stone and make the three, JW’s last shot needed to run right down the snow and dust on very edge of rink one and yet it also had to curl in.  It was unknown territory but somehow it worked.  The stone was removed.  7-6 to Team Waterlow. Try as they might, Team Auld couldn’t pull it back in the eighth end, dropping another single.  They were magnanimous in defeat, but it hurts when such good work has so little to show for it.   

John.

Once again apologies for a report written rather too long after the event so the details have faded.  However, I can safely say that this was one of the closest games of the Holyrood season.  Both rinks played well and the closeness of the game was evidenced by no score being greater than a two and the final result being only five stone to four in favour of Team W.  Any errors were pounced on by the opposition and thoroughly punished.

Team Deemo had the full complement of team members while Team W welcomed sub Gill who was kindly standing in for the skiing Fiona.   

Team W opened the scoring with a single but then lost a two in the second end. The next two ends went to Team W but only by a single for each.  Team Deemo then clawed back one to leave things level at three all going into the sixth end.

Things were so tense that I am having difficulty remembering specific events but I do recall a perfect take out of two adjacent opposition stones by second Richard Willson.  Jim’s calling on the sweeping  was also noteworthy and we were grateful for Gill’s accuracy at lead in placing stones in the house. 

After a two in the fifth, Team W had the cushion of knowing that Deemo would need a three to win.  And they almost got it.  To JW’s horror Team Deemo were lying at just that score as the end unfolded.  However, JW managed to reduce that advantage to one leaving Deemo with a very difficult take-out for a win on his last stone.  Fortunately (for Team W) he just missed it. The end went to Team Deemo but the game was Team W’s.

With the bar still open, we repaired upstairs for a drink and some craic – one of the rare occasions we have managed it this season and much appreciated.

John.