Match Report Stranraer 27th November

 "Sixteen players headed South in the very early wintery morning sun for a day's social curling at Stranraer on Wed 27 Nov.  This was to be the second visit this season and once again we were hosted exceptionally well and the ice a joy to play on, especially if you were on the winning sides!  The morning session started at 1000 with concerns regarding the absence of Richard Morrison who had a terrible journey from Troon with repeated traffic delays.  Thankfully he arrived about 15 minutes late to join the Rinks on Sheets 1 and 2 and we had the whole Ice Rink to ourselves.  Rink 1 (Reynolds (S), Lawrence, Niblock, Peat) faced Rink 2 (Mutter (S), McFadzean, Galloway, Hogg) and soon surged into a daunting 6 stone lead by the 3^rd end.  Rink 2 tried to emulate the fine form they were being subjected to and did manage single returns in the 3rd, 5^th and 7^th ends but to little avail with Rink 1 taking another 2 and single stones in the 4^th and 6^th end to win handsomely 9-3.

On Sheet 2, Rinks 3 (Cherry (S), Charters, Dunlop, Morrison) and 4 (Graham(S), Gray, Hope, Cattanach) had locked horns on an end by end basis until they lay matched at 4-5 at the start of the 5^th end.  Rink 4 then clicked up a gear to take the next 2 ends to be leading 10-4 going in to the final end.  Rink 3, bowed but not downcast, pulled out the stops to redress the difference but could only manage to score 3 to then shake hands losing 7-10.

On the way in to a very tasty chicken and rice soup, fresh sandwiches and tea/coffee, "bottom polishing" was viewed as stones were being prepared for the Under 17 Slam being hosted later in the week.  It was very interesting to see how this was being done and the resulting alterations in stone swing on the ice. Conscious of the shortening days and likely traffic delay caused by the long term road works on the AS77 at the Doonholm Road and Corton Lane junction, it was agreed to start the afternoon session earlier than that initially planned with the morning Skips now playing Lead.

Rink 1, now being Skipped by Euan Lawrence and Rink 3 (Charters(S)) played on Sheet 2.  Rink 1 took a first end lead but Rink 3 came back in strong fashion over the next 3 ends to lead 5-1 at the end of the 4th.  Lunch now digested, Rink 1 recovered their poise of the morning and scored convincingly over the next 3 ends to win 9-5.  On Sheet 3, Rink 2 (McFadzean (S) and Rink 4 (Gray (S)) were much more closely matched and were equally pegged end by end but Rink 4 took a steal on the final 7th end to win 4-3.

The overall final results were:

Rink 1 Reynolds/Lawrence      4 Points      8 Ends    18 Shots

Rink 2 Graham/Gray                4 Ponts       8 Ends    14 Shots

Rink 3 Cherry/Charters            0 Points      6 Ends     12 Shots

Rink 4 Mutter/McFadzean        0 Points      6 Ends       6 Shots.

President Donald presented the prizes to the winners and everyone thanked the North West Castle  Hotel and Ice Staff for another most enjoyable day's social curling ."

GCC vs Beresford Ladies

After a break last year following the closure of Ayr Ice Rink, 4 mixed Rinks from the Gangrels and Berisford Ladies gathered on the excellent facilities at Greenacres on Wed 6 Nov to revive the social but competitive nature of this combined gender event.  Team Cherry (Cherry (S), Branch (BL), Cattanach, Butler (BL)) were set against Team Macdonald (G Macdonald (S)(BL), Graham, McCandless (BL) , Niblock) on Sheet A and took an early small lead but were soon reigned in by good counter scores in the next 4 ends to be trailing 3-11 by the 7^th end.  Successes in the last 2 ends produced a final score of 5-11.

On Sheet B, Team Galloway (Galloway(S), McTimpany (BL), Hogg, Arnott (BL)) had a bad start against Team Morton (J Morton (BL), Begg, Naismith (BL), Charters) by losing a 5 on the first end and failing to recover sufficiently against superior play in the remaining ends to finally shake hands losing 4-10.

A very pleasant snack lunch of 2 choice soups, a variety of fresh plated sandwiches and hot drinks was enjoyed by all as was the opportunity to re-establish friendships, create new ones and have a good chin-wag!  Presidents Anne and Donald thanked all the participants for their spirited performances and also the catering staff for their service and the much appreciated food and drink.  President Donald then announced the overall winner as Team Morton.  The results table is shown here and photographs of the winning Rink and all players are also shown."

FRASER CUP ROUND 5

 Hard on the heels of Storm Bert, Rinks 1 (McFadzean (S), Graham, Begg, Hogg) and 4 (Reynolds (S), Henry, Peat, Galloway) made their way cautiously across country to Greenacres for the 5^th round of the Fraser Cup.  As has been the case in all previous rounds, the Rinks were closely matched and there was going to be little room for error.  At the close of the 4^th end, Rink 4 was just ahead 3-2 but thereafter things just did not go to plan for Rink1 despite their every attempt to limit their opposition scoring stones in the head.  Rink 4 took a 4 in the 5th end followed by another 3 in the 7th to then shake hands as winners 10-3.  The overall results table is shown here.

Fraser Cup Round 4

The 4^th round of the Fraser Cup between Rinks 2 and 4 took place on Mon 18 Nov at Greenacres.  It was a busy venue as Ayr Rotary occupied the 4 principal sheets in playing against the visiting Canadian Rotary team.  As a consequence, we were decanted on to Sheet F in the quiet extension section.  Rink 2 (Charters (S), Chapman, Graham, Cattanach) lost the toss and the first end in a close game but then came bounding back to nip out the Rink 4 single lying stone with their last stone to take a 5!  It was now an uphill fight to recover which Rink 4 (Galloway(S), Reynolds, Hogg, Peat) sought to do by winning the next 2 ends.  That was getting too close for comfort so Rink 2 upped the pressure once again to take single scores in the 5^th and 6^th ends.  In the final end, they were leading 7-3 and seeking to block Rink 4's attempts to build a well protected substantial score of 4 around the button to secure a peel.  Robert was having none of that and with his last stone he edged out 2 of the buried scoring stones and left the smallest of gaps for Rink 4 to redress the shortfall on their last stone which just failed to succeed.  The final score was 7-5 to Rink 2. 

Fraser Cup Round 3

 The third round of the Fraser Cup between Rinks 1 and 2 took place at Greenacres on Mon 4 Nov at 1230.  This game had originally been scheduled for 23 Sep but was delayed by the early season ice plant problems experienced by Greenacres which prevented their opening as planned.  Both Rinks took to the well prepared and keen ice with Rink 1 (Begg (S), Hogg, Galloway, McFadzean) lying second in the results table having already played games in the previous 2 rounds while Rink 2 (Cattanach (S), Cherry, Charters, Henry) were lying 4^th having not yet played.  Notwithstanding, it was a very tight game from the start with neither Rink surging ahead with a big score.  At the close of the 7th end and with 7 minutes of play remaining, Rink 1 had recovered from being 2-4 down at the 5^th end to peeling 4-4.  It was all to play for in the final end before the bell and Rink 2 set to with a will to draw 4 stones close to the button and to hold off retaliatory score limiting tactics from Rink 1.  In this they succeeded to shake hands 8-4 winners at the bell.  

The Eglinton Jug

  Having failed to raise a Rink for last year's Eglinton Jug which was hosted at Greenacres for the first time, it was with appreciable interest and anticipation that Bob Cherry (Skip), Ronnie Peat, Peter Galloway and David Stubley made their way to join the fray for this year held on Sat 16 and Sun 17 Nov.  With a comprehensive and well constructed competition plan in place for the 24 Club entries, the High and Low routes ensured that each entry had an assured 2 games of play.  The Greenacres venue was ideal with its 6 sheets of keen and swingy ice, hosting facilities and food and drink outlets.  The atmosphere too was something special with a very large number of "weel kent" faces from events held in the past at Ayr Ice Rink.  In short, the place was buzzing!

Our first round in the High Road was at 1230 on Sat 16 Nov against Dalry Union on Sheet D in the main arena.  Dalry opened the scoring with a single in the first end which we countered in the second end but our scoring proficiency thereafter became something of a hit and miss affair.  In contrast, Dalry played very well to score in each of the next 5 ends to win 10-1 as the bell rang at the end of the 7th.  A snack lunch in the very crowded lounge was enjoyed and wounds licked while awaiting confirmation of who was to be faced in the next Low Road round at 1800.

That was soon declared to be A&A (C Steele (S), A. Martin, K. Ireland and D. Haddow) and scheduled to take place on Sheet F, one of the 2 sheets on the ice rink extension.  Whoever was to win this round would then have a very early start the following Sunday morning for a 0900 Low Round 3^rd Round tussle.  Once again, despite our best efforts which were repeatedly thwarted by A&A, we were to shake hands as the bell rang at the close of the 7^th end with A&A deserving 10-3 winners.  

Perhaps not one of our more notable performances on the day but memorable nonetheless for the embracing curling and social atmosphere in this unique annual competition.  One not to be missed for the future.  

The Winner of the High Road was [     *         ] and the Low Road [       *         ]." 

*  Details to be added once available

Gangrels v Ayr & Alloway

 The second round of the mini league with A&A took place at Greenacres on Mon 11 Nov with the Gangrels 2 and 1 lying first and second respectively on the league table after the first round.  However, like the weather, change was in the air!

Gangrels 1 (Peat (S), Niblock, Cherry, Cattanach) faced A&A2 (Mitchell (S), Ireland, J. Cherry, A Chapman) on  Sheet A but did not fare well despite an encouraging first 2 ends.  A&A2 crept ahead over the following 3 ends to lead 6-1 by the end of the 5th.  Gangrels took a single at 6^th end but then lost the 7^th end to cumulatively come second 2-8 at the bell.

On the adjacent Sheet B, Gangrels 2, Lawrence (S), Reynolds, Galloway, Charters) won the toss against A&A1 (Baines (S), Wilson, H. Kennedy, Haddow) but lost the first end. Wins in the second and third ends saw Gangrels 1 edge ahead to lead 5-2.  A&A1 recovered their poise to take the next 2 ends with single shots which stung the Gangrels to win the next 2 ends to lead 8-4 at the end of the 7th.  In the final end, A&A1 were lying 4 to peel and despite seeking to guard their position, in the best of Skip performances under duress, Euan pegged the loss to 1 to then shake hands 8-5 winners.

Fraser Cup Round 2

 Fraser Cup Round 2

Round 2 of The Fraser Cup took place at Greenacres on Mon 28th Oct between Rinks 1 and 3.

Everyone quickly adapted to the keenness of the Greenacres ice and Rink 3, skipped by D. Gray with J. Niblock, G. Watson and E. Lawrence, drew first blood, taking a single shot at the first end.

Rink 1, skipped by F. Hogg with S. McFadzean, D. Cattenach and J. Begg then immediately responded in the second end by taking a single shot themselves.

And so it was throughout what proved to be a very nip & tuck game with Rink 3 scoring 2 shots at the 3rd end before Rink 1 secured a single shot at each of the next 3 ends. Rink 3 then scored a single shot at the 7th end to draw the game at 4:4 going into the last end.

In the final end, it all came down to the skip’s stones as they both attempted to draw into what was by now a very full head and Rink 3 found themselves sitting with 2 shots up when Rink 1 played their last stone to try and steal the end. Unfortunately, the very last stone of the game failed to find its mark and Rink 3 ended up winning the last end by those 2 shots resulting in a final score of 6:4.

Everyone agreed it was a thoroughly enjoyable and extremely close fought game which could easily have gone either way.

Fraser Hogg