As reported by the team Captain Derek Young and a few of the skips.
In the morning games West Lothian team on sheet D, skipped by Andrew Williamson, had a good win against the US Captain Leland Rich, finishing 7 shots up. It was very much a drawing game in the first session and the team really crowded the USA out.
On sheet C Gavin Fleming was 4 ends each, but unfortunately conceeded a 3 twice, and ended up losing by 9 shots to 6.
On sheet B Donnie McLoed had a tight game, taking 4 shots in the last 2 ends to end 8 shots a piece.
In the game on sheet A, Gordon Jackson had a slow start going 8 down, before clawing it back to level after 6 ends, and then losing a 2 in the 7th, and Gordon could only manage a single at the last end to lose by a shot.
Overall in the morning Scotland were 3 up.
The afternoon games were also tight.
On sheet D, John Davie's team, with 92 year old Willie Ralston at lead, found the ice tricky and lost a 4 in the 4th end to go to the break 6 - 2 down. Two good 2's in the next 2 ends saw the game level, only for the Scots to have a bad 7th leaving Leland Rich an open draw for 3, which he executed. All to do in the 8th end, the priority was to get stones in play. This the Scots did successfully, and left John a chip out of a red counter to lie 4, or if it drew, then a tap on their own yellow lying against the red, to push it back and lie 4. John expertly executed the 2nd option to take a 4 and steal the game 10 - 9.
John Penman lost a tight game on sheet C by 7 shots to 6, failing to get a shot with his last stone to peel the game.
On sheet B Ian Ferguson came back from 6 - 1 down, with a 3 in the 5th, and then another 3 in the last end, playing a great shot through a tight port to raise his own stone onto the US counter and tap it back to lie 3, and steal the game by 1.
Team Ainslie played Team Jackson from the USA in the afternoon session Team Jackson were in good spirit after their win in the morning session
but they came up against a very strong team in the afternoon game losing the first three ends with the Hammer
in the first end Team Ainslie played a perfect game and were a measure away from taking a Three. All players contributed but in particular Callum Young and Fraser Cronin
our two Stirling Young Curlers who both played steady for 8 ends
team Ainslie were 5 shots up after 3 ends and forced the team USA Skip to play a take out for a 1 on the fourth end which if he had missed would have lost them a 3
in end 5 team Ainslie continued to dominate with a 1
in the 6th end however the USA were lying three forcing Norman Ainslie to clear a few stones out to cut them down to 1
the seventh end was the same with the USA Forcing Ainslie to hit and stay for a 1 but in the eighth end team Ainslie put lots of stones in the house led by Joe Kincaid forcing the USA To
finish with a 1 making the final score 7-3 to team Ainslie
but they came up against a very strong team in the afternoon game losing the first three ends with the Hammer
in the first end Team Ainslie played a perfect game and were a measure away from taking a Three. All players contributed but in particular Callum Young and Fraser Cronin
our two Stirling Young Curlers who both played steady for 8 ends
team Ainslie were 5 shots up after 3 ends and forced the team USA Skip to play a take out for a 1 on the fourth end which if he had missed would have lost them a 3
in end 5 team Ainslie continued to dominate with a 1
in the 6th end however the USA were lying three forcing Norman Ainslie to clear a few stones out to cut them down to 1
the seventh end was the same with the USA Forcing Ainslie to hit and stay for a 1 but in the eighth end team Ainslie put lots of stones in the house led by Joe Kincaid forcing the USA To
finish with a 1 making the final score 7-3 to team Ainslie
This left the Scots 5 up in the afternoon and 8 up over the day.
This meant we had beaten the USA twice in day and inflicted a rare double defeat for them.
It all hinged on Ian and John's last stones, with those shots resulting in a 9 shot swing over the 2 games, which was the difference between winning and losing overall.
A quote from Iain Ferguson "I would like to say what a privilege it was to play against the USA tour in Stirling at the NCA. It was a most enjoyable occasion with the game played in a friendly but competitive manner on what was challenging ice for us mere mortals. The evening reception was excellent with great food, banter and discussion (and maybe a few beverages). New friends-across-the-pond were made. Hopefully my awful singing was drowned out by the other “volunteers”.
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