President's Cup Round 2

Today Mon 13 Jan, the second round of the President's Cup was played between Rink 3 (Watson (S), Lawrence, Haddow (sub Gray), Niblock) and Rink 4 Henry (S) (sub Kennedy), Peat, Galloway, Reynolds).  While the atmosphere outside was driech and dull, the spirit of competition inside was bright and the ice keen to play on.  Rink 4 took single shots on the first 2 ends with Rink 3 reducing the deficit to 1 on the 3^rd end.  Rink 4 then opened a significant lead by taking a 4 on the 4^th end to regain the lead 6-1.  Spurred in to retaliation mode, Rink 3 then scored 2 in each of the following 2 ends to be lying 5-6 going into the 7^th and final end.  The tension was palpable as Rink 4 sought to better/remove Rink 3's partially hidden mid-play lying stone but without success.  Rink 3 therefore took the final end to peel 6-6 which was a just result from a very competitive, spirited and skilfully played game from both sides.  

Rink 3 will therefore meet Rink 2 in the High Road on 3 Feb, and Rink 4 will play Rink 1 in the Low Road on 24 Feb.  The results table from the first 2 rounds is shown here.

Province Medal

 The Province Medal annual event took place at Greenacres on Saturday 11 Jan with the Gangrels playing in the first round at 1500 and a second Rink at 1730.  In the first round, Gangrels 1 (D Hope (S), A Chapman, D Graham, G Watson) faced Curl Ayrshire and won by a score differential of +2.  In the second round, Gangrels 2 (P Galloway (S), B Cherry, R Peat, D Cattanach) played against Troon Portland and they too won by a score differential of +2.  Both Rinks played well and enjoyed their games which were enhanced by the social buzz of all who were there and the excellent meals available on completion.  The overall results announced were;  3rd, Gangrels with +4, 2^nd Sorn with +14 and the winners, Stewarton Heather with +20.

Report on Game 1, with thanks to David Hope.

For the Gangrels first game in the Province Medal we came up against a Curl Ayrshire Rink. The ice was keen from the start and a few stones went through the back resulting in people being cautious with their weight. We held on to win the first end with a single shot. End 2 Curl Ayrshire took a singer shot. This was to be the theme for the first 4 where single shots were exchanged. On the fifth and sixth end we exchange a two and after 6 ends it was all square with 4 shots each. On the seventh end manged to hand on and take a one. The point of the competition was to score heavy, but that certainly wasn’t happening here! In the eighth end Curl Ayrshire were lying 1 with several stones lying around the rings. Sad to say the Gangrels weren't looking so good. It came down to the final 2 stones from the skips to decide who was going to win the end. With David Hope’s final stone, came round the guards and was able push Curl Ayrshire’s shot stone back to lie shot. David had shown Curl Ayrshire’s Skip Charlie Steele the route to the shot stone. Charlie played his stone slightly tighter resulting in his stone catching the guards out front! Gangrels finished the game by taking a single shot to finish 6 - 4. After the first half the Gangrels were sitting with positive figures and all to play for in the second half. 

The final Province event of this season is the Province Knockout in which the Gangrels will face Galston Haymouth in the first round on Fri 14 Feb at Greenacres at 1800.

Gangrels v Ayr & Alloway Mini League

 

The 3^rd round of the Gangrels and A&A Mini League took place at Greenacres on Mon 9 Dec at 1230 where the 2 Rinks from each of the respective clubs were playing each other.  On Sheet A, A&A1 (Baines (S), Wilson, Kennedy, Haddow) were facing A&A2 (Mitchell (S), Chapman, Shanks, J Cherry).  Both A&A Rinks initially alternated in scoring 2 per end and were peeled at 4 each at the end of the 4^th end.  A&A1 then took a larger step forward with a 3 on the 6^th end which was redressed by A&A2's score of 2 on the 6^th end.  Only 1 point between them going in to the 7^th end where A&A1 increased their lead by taking a 2 and then adding another single shot in the last end to win 10-6.

On the adjacent Sheet B, Gangrels 1(B Cherry (S), Graham, Niblock, Cattanach) faced off against Grangrels 2 (Galloway (S), Begg, Watson, Charters).  Gangrels 1 opened the scoring with a single in the first end but Gangrels 2 responded by taking a 4 and then a 2 in the following 2 ends.  Gangrels 1 then sought to redress the balance by scoring 2 in the 4^th end where the score was then 3-6.  Gangrels 2 then increased their lead to 9-3 by taking the next 2 ends.  In the final end, Gangrels 1, with the hammer, took a single to leave Gangrels 2 winners at 9-4.  The overall league table results are attached here.

President's Cup 2025

Despite the dire yellow weather warnings of snow and ice, the journeys to and from Greenacres for the first round of the President's Cup between Rinks 1 and 2 were uneventful and completed without incident in fine sunny weather with only a smattering of snow in the vicinity of Greenacres.  Rink 1 (Graham (S), McFadzean, Hogg, Galloway (sub for Begg) blithely stepped on to the keen and well prepared ice unaware of the onslaught which was to follow from Rink 2's "Santa Slay" (Chapman (S), Cattanach, Cherry, Carters).  

It was not a particularly high scoring game but Rink 2 won each of the first 6 ends to be leading 8-0 with 10 minutes remaining on the clock.  Desperate to break their duck, Rink 1 eventually, and much to their relief, managed to securely guard their lying stone to take the final end.  Hands were shaken with Rink 2 winning 8-1.  The results table is shown here.

Rink 2 (Cattanach (S), Cherry, Charters, Chapman) will go forward into the High Road scheduled for Mon 3 Feb at 1230 to meet the winners of the Pres Cup Round 2 to be played on Mon 13 Jan.  Rink 1 (McFadzean (S), Hogg, Begg, Graham) will then play in the Low Road scheduled for Mon 24 Feb against the losers of the 13 Jan game."

Fraser Cup Round 6

 The final Fraser Cup match was played between Rinks 2 and 3 both of whom were in contention for the trophy. Rink 2 was skipped by Allan Chapman, supported by Robert Charters,Donald Cattanach and Bob Cherry. Rink 3 was skipped by Jimmy Niblock with Ronnie Wilson (sub) Alastair Henry (sub) and David Gray making up the team.  

The Chapman team got away to a 4 shot lead after the first end on sticky ice which rapidly quickened to the normal fast Greenacres ice. We were using new curling stones which are being 'run in’ for use at next years Olympics They proved to be extremely swingy except when an exaggerated rotation was used by the curler. The teams were all square after 4 ends. 

The fifth end proved crucial.  The Niblock team were lying 4 shots with the final stone to be played. Allan managed to draw through a port to take a single shot. After 8 ends, Rink 2 won by 8 points to 5 and took the victory and the Cup. An enjoyable game and finale of the first half of the season.

The final table can be found by clicking here.

RINK CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH REPORT - 8 DEC 24

 In the aftermath of Storm Durragh, a short notice scratch Gangrels Rink of Ronnie Peat (S), Bob Cherry, Peter Galloway and Donald Cattanach headed for Greenacres on Sunday 8 Dec for a 2000 session in the Rink Championships Quarter Final against Dalry (W Smith (S), S NcNab, J Logan and A Gemmell).

 Gangrels stormed in to an early and unexpected substantial lead by taking a 4 in the first end.  However, despite trying their best, they were then to be subjected to a recovery battering by Dalry.  They took the next 3 ends to be peeling 4-4 at the end of the 4th.  And then the onslaught began.  A good score of 4 by Dalry in the 5^th end followed by another 5 in the 6^th knocked the wind out of the Gangrels and hands were shaken before the bell without playing a 7th end with Dalry winning 13-4."

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 ."