Moray Province East lower division curling teams get season up and running on Moray Leisure Centre ice

It was the turn of Divisions 2 and 3 to open their curling accounts in Moray Province East this week.

Sandy Howie was in the sort of form that won Division 4 last season as his Buckie team decisively defeated Bob Stewart by a five-shot margin.

The Elgin rink took a three at the second end to edge ahead but a deuce at the third and two subsequent steals of four and two gave Howie a convincing 10-5 opening night victory.

Darnaway’s Alan Douglas also got off to a flyer, leading Julie Stewart 7-0 after three ends. A single shot and a consolation count of three at the sixth end was not enough for the ladies to scare Douglas and he ran out a 9-4 winner.

Helen Downey and Steve Field contested the night’s tightest game as the Elgin team nosed ahead 3-2 after four ends. A two-shot steal at the fifth proved to be the difference between two well-matched teams as Field and co could only count a single and then a single steal to just come up agonisingly short in an exciting 5-4 loss.

In Division 4, Gateway Club supremo John Key was up against the juniors of Cameron Turnidge, who is perhaps the youngest and keenest curler in the Province and picked up a commendable count of two shots at the last end in reply to his opponent’s 9-0 domination of the opening five ends..

Fellow junior Ruthie Harris and her team gave Rod Christie a real run for his money.
A three-shot count at the third end was the difference between the teams and a final end deuce saw the Buckie team breathe a sigh of relief on a 7-4 win.

In the West, in a rearranged Division 2 game, Mike McInnes raced to a 5-0 lead against John Smart. Two Dalcross singles were not really enough to worry the Nairn rink and a big count of six saw the teams shake hands on an 11-2 McInnes victory.

Results

Moray Province East League

Division 3:

R. Stewart (Elgin) 5 A. Howie (Buckie)10
J. Stewart (Moray Firth Ladies) 4 A. Douglas (Darnaway) 9
H. Downey (Elgin) 5 S. Field (Gateway Club) 4

Division 4:

J. Key (Gateway Club) 9 C. Turnidge (Moray Juniors) 2
R. Christie (Buckie) 7 R. Harris (Moray Juniors) 4

Moray Province West League

Division 2:

J. Smart (Dalcross) 2 M. McInnes (Nairn) 11