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.  12^th November 2021

With the Young Yin having been laid low by Covid, Round ‘em up had to step up to skip position again, hoping for a better result than last time, but with Deemo standing-in hopes were high.

The first end went well with a steal of one, but this was negated in the next end by a great shot by the Fort to equalise the score.

The third end started well with well-placed stones from Deemo and Newsprint.  Swing Low placed a good, although exposed, stone and it was neatly dealt with by Hardcore.  Super K narrowly missed the targets and we were slowly building up a good group, consolidated by Round ‘em up. The failure to shift them by the Fort left us with a four and a buffer against future failures.

The fourth end saw us with well-placed stones again apart from an opposition stone sitting on the button.  Neither Hardcore or Round ‘em up could remove it and the Fort finished with a well-judged draw into the gap for a two.  Everyone’s game so far and everything to play for, but the fifth end saw us hang on to get a one.

The sixth end started well with Deemo laying down good stones with a guard and protected stone in the house but new member, Keith Walker, (Premium Shortbread?) sitting in the blue.  Newsprint sent down a superb stone to sit on it and marginally closer to the button.  Swing Low missed by a whisker but Hardcore followed with another to add to the group.  Another landed in the pack and pushed the opposition stone back.  Guards were set up to protect and the opposition was unable to penetrate.  An unfortunate or otherwise last stone from the Fort was off target – last stone pressure – and knocked out her own stone and promoted one of ours to give us a five. A frustrated team D decided to go for an early bath.

Ken Herd 12^th November 2021