European qualifiers 6

In most games there is a key end - that's the one where the Editor is usually getting the coffee, or in the loo, or indeed watching another match. Not so this morning. In the Warwick Smith v David Murdoch game, third end, Ewan MacDonald's takeout went awry to remove two of his own counters and suddenly the Murdoch team were looking at four opposition stones when David went to play his first. The Lockerbie skip came up with two BIG shots, both draws and ended up stealing a single to go 2-0 ahead.

In the sixth, David conjured a pair of shots out of nothing, two fine draws again showing the Scottish Champion at his best.

It was into the seventh then, Murdoch 4-2 in front. Warwick had to draw against three with his last stone of the end. It looked good to be outcounting two at least, but the stone definitely picked, and the Smith team gave up three! The teams played another end but that was the game, and David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith and Euan Byers were on their way to Sweden.

In the fourth of the five games in the women's event, Edith Loudon and her team looked at times in the early ends to be stronger than Kelly Wood's side but were unable to convert to shots on the board. It was 2-2 after six and in the seventh it was Wood who took the advantage with a two. Loudon was up against it in the next end, but drew safely to the four foot with three lying against her. It was 4-3 playing the ninth, Wood with the hammer. Successful blank, and when Loudon failed to get cover in the tenth, Kelly had a straightforward hit for the game.

Two wins apiece and the decider will be this afternoon at 3pm.

Find the linescores here.

Top: Euan Byers, Peter Smith, Ewan MacDonald and David Murdoch. Pic by Bob.