Auld fielding a full team with no subs.

Kinnaird fielding Alice, Kay and Long John Waterlow but missing Laux or Walker, so brought in ‘ringer’ Billy ‘super sweep’ Fraser at the last minute.

Team A would be up against it given previous form – would all that TV Olympic curling on the telly inspire a high standard of play?

End 1 – Confirmed the worst as Team A managed by the tightest of margins managed to lose by only one stone.

End 2 – Team A lost by two stones. Alice forcing Dougie to make some tough shots – didn’t make them (sorry Ken, your shot calling was good). Team A needed to adjust calibration on their throwing weight and line.

End 3 – Again Team A finding it difficult to get the feel of the ice. Dougie had to make a really difficult last stone to save the day – missed by a whisker.

End 4 – A change of fortune for Team A as they somehow managed to get a three stone win taking advantage of an error by the opposition.

End 4 – Another win for Team A bringing the score level.  Finally Team A managed to sort out their issues with weight and more importantly direction.

End 5 – Inspired by Bruce Mouat (he claimed) Dougie changed his tactics and set up the end with long guards hoping this would confuse Alice. It didn’t work as she’s made of tougher stuff, but Team A scraped another one stone win taking the lead.

End 6 – Seven minutes left on the clock. Alice managed to build up a strong position in the house and guarded well. Team A chipped away and eventually managed to create a way through but it was tight. Somehow Dougie’s last stone found its way into the middle of the pack and while counting was still well protected. Kay and Alice had a long discussion (the bell had gone earlier) and eventually decided that the best course of action was to use an outlying stone to bounce off and ricochet inside Dougie’s to count and win. It would be an amazing shot. Kay gave the line. Alice took a deep breath and sent the stone on its way. Line was good. Weight was good. John and Supersweep Billy did everything possible to keep the stone on line. The stone hit its target but did not come off at the expected angle missing Dougie’s stone. Team A breathed huge sigh of relief having scraped a one stone win over the match favourites.

Cracking game. Thanks to all.

Dougie

Skips log : Star date 9^th Feb 2022

Time        :  18.00hrs

Location  : Ice sheet 5

Rinks ‘Auld’ and ’Deemo’ took to the ice but with rink ‘Auld’ fielding ‘Sweet Chariot’ as a sub in  second place. 

Deemo was feeling tense – dare he tell his rink the full implications of this match? ‘The Young Yin’ and his crew were our nearest competitors for league supremacy so if ‘Deemo’ won this fixture then the ‘abacus says’ nobody can catch you!!!

Deciding not to invoke the nervous tension that comes with that level of expectation ‘Deemo’ kept shtum and concentrated on the task in hand.

The first three ends went in ‘Deemo’s’ way and they were sitting on a 5 – 0 score going into end four. Could they relax a little? Not on your life. ‘The Young Yin’ sprang to life and with a scattering of stones round the house secured a count of four – five shots to four and things were getting tense.

End five saw rink ‘Deemo’ sitting one shot, well guarded by a collection of granite at the front edge of the house. There was just a chance of a slight edge on a shot to raise it for a count of  two – ‘Deemo’ decided to go for it, much to the consternation of his rink (their  concern being well-founded  remembering what has gone awry in previous games). This time it worked and a count of two was secured for rink ‘Deemo’ to give some breathing space again; or did it?

‘The Young Yin’ galvanised his rink once more and struck back right away with a score of two shots in the sixth end. Going into the seventh end we were sitting seven shots to six for rink ‘Deemo’ but with rink ‘Deemo’ crucially having the hammer going into the next end which had the potential to be the last end of this session (for those amongst us avidly watching the Olympics the implications of this perceived advantage of final stone will not go unnoticed).

End seven progressed with neither rink making dramatic moves but a shot played by ‘Hi Dee Hi’ hanging on doggedly at the rear of the house to count one for rink ‘Deemo’. Going into skip stones ‘The Young Yin’ played his first stone but which did not impact on the congregation of granite and left rink ‘Deemo’ still lying with that single shot at the back of the house. ‘Deemo’ played his first stone to further congest the route into the head.  ‘The Young Yin’ played his second and last stone with no impact on the house before ‘Deemo’ took his place on the hack and readied to play his last stone – the look of consternation on the faces of members of  ‘rink Deemo’ was a joy to behold but ‘Deemo’, being aware of their concern, played a short shot to ‘nowhere’!

An enjoyable game was had by all and the Apres curl was just as enjoyable. ‘Deemo’ then went home to check his arithmetic before spreading possible good news to his unsuspecting rink.

Till the next time – I bid you a goodnight while looking forward to our next club fixture.

The match as remembered by ????????

With this week’s disappointments for the Olympic Mixed Pairs illustrating just what a fickle mistress this game of curling is, the two rinks assembled with but one thought is mind – we really need some points!  At this stage of the season, league leaders Team Morrison may not be unassailable but it does rather feel as though they have the championship wrapped up.  But the remaining places are still very much up in the air.  So battle commenced…..

It was pleasing to see John Mac back on the ice again and, with stalwarts Billy and Fiona, his rink was completed by Ken who was substituting for the temporarily absent Rob.  Alice was skipping team D, ably backed up by third Kay, second John W and lead Steve.

For much of the game, it was a relatively undramatic, with no big scores, no trick shots and no big upsets. Team Kinnaird looked the stronger rink with well-placed stones from all concerned which Team MacConnachie were unable to better.  Two points in the first and another two in the second put Team Kinnaird in a strong position. 

However, the tide turned in Team MacConnachie’s favour for the next two ends with some notable stones from Billy helping seal wins in the third and fourth, albeit by only a single for each end. 

So going into the fifth it was 4-2 to Team Kinnaird and this was where things started to become a bit more eventful.  It looked as Team MacConnachie’s chances were fading.  John Mac was unable to engineer the shifting of well-placed stones and the end went to Alice for a strong three.

But then did Team Kinnaird take their foot of the gas?  Did complacency set in?  Or did Team  MacConnachie get serious.  Whatever, John Mac’s rink was lying three by the last stone.  However, possibly overcome by the excitement of it all, as John launched his stone he took a tumble on the ice.  It might not have been too bad were it not for him landing heavily on his dodgy knee.  Play had been slow and the bell went just after this had taken place.  Another end could have rightfully been played but John was sadly in no state to take any further part in proceedings.  Would Team MacConnachie have been able to continue their fight back?  We shall never know as the game was halted after six ends with a 7-5 advantage to Team Kinnaird.

John W.