CURLING TODAY: The Men's Final

February 22, 2009

The Men's Final

Tom Brewster, David Murdoch

Tom Brewster and Duncan Fernie

As in the women's event, the Bruadar Championship game was a rematch of the yesterday's Page 1-2 encounter. David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith, Euan Byers were the holders. Tom Brewster, Duncan Fernie, Ron Brewster, Colin Campbell is a new lineup this season, although Tom has the reputation of always being there or thereabouts, but never winning the big one.

There was little to separate the teams. Murdoch engineered a two at the fourth and Brewster responded with a pair of his own in the fifth. After six ends, the score was 3-2 to Brewster. End seven was an aggressive end by both teams - two timeouts, lots of discussions. Murdoch played a key last stone, a brave one which could have been disastrous had it gone wrong, to get a two and take the initiative. Real class! David and his team then stole in the eighth after a measure - this game comes down to millimetres so often. That put them two up. Brewster blanked the ninth.

There was not a lot for Brewster to hide behind as the tenth end progressed. Coach Gordon Muirhead was called in on a timeout and Duncan Fernie had two attempts to hide behind a Murdoch stone at the top of the four foot. One was wide (and was quickly removed by Ewan MacDonald), the other just ticked it and lay open. It was removed too.

Two stones to go, and Brewster put the first of these half behind the Murdoch stone right at the back of the house. Murdoch's removal team then did the job expected and David Murdoch, Ewan MacDonald, Peter Smith, Euan Byers, the European Champions, were the Bruadar Scottish Champions, and will be our representatives in Moncton at the Worlds. Great game, well done to both teams!

More pics later.

Find all the linescores and stats here.