League Division 2 Winners Decided

Moray Province Division 2 was the first to be completed this week and the winning rink was Bill Jaffrey’s Fochabers team. Long time front runners Elgin Tennis Club started the night a single point ahead of Jaffrey but came a cropper , losing 9-4 to a fired up Abby Duncan. 3 counts of 3 gave Duncan his win and allowed  his Fochabers clubmate to leapfrog Dave McPherson and win the Division by a very short head. Wilson Burnett and co will have to treat the suntanned Gordon Castle Gunslinger to a drink in appreciation of his assistance. The Tennis club’s post Christmas fortunes took a nosedive as McPherson’s team only managed to collect 3 points from a potential 10. Jaffrey knew that only a win over Andrew Allardyce would do, and a 6 -0 lead after 3 ends settled a few Fochabers nerves. The alliterative Allardyce however pulled back to 6-4 before counts of 3 and 4 in the final two ends gave the Speysiders victory and the Division win. On a personal note, it has been great to see the return of Andrew Allardyce this season though now using a stick, he is a legendary figure in Moray Province. Widely thought to be using a curling stick due to a hip replacement, Andrew explained that it is actually due to the effects of shrapnel and an injury sustained during the Relief of Mafeking. In the other Division 2 game, Eddie Milne’s Darnaway overcame a weakened Durnoless Alan Durno rink, restricting their opponents to three single count ends in a 7-4 win. The big fellow apparently for once not being away at Old Trafford, but nursing the after effects of an altercation with a sheep. Division 1 saw another close encounter between Buckie’s Alan Campbell and Aberlour’s Andy Cameron. There has been only a single shot between these two in their previous encounters this season and this time, the coast team came out on top courtesy of multiple shots in their 3 ends with the hammer, a 3 at the sixth end being the decisive count. Willie Cameron’s win over  Sunninghill kept alive his hopes of Division 1 status next year. Skip Jim Gault and Paralympian hero Gregor Ewen were instrumental in steering their team to a solid 9-5 victory. Charlie Watt jnr returned to his familiar slot at the top of Division 3 with another big win over Lynn Robert’s Wheels rink whist last week’s League leader Bob Stewart came unstuck against a trio of Kennedys. Dad Gordie, Mum Ruth and son Ian scored at 5 of the 6 ends played , but opponent Stewart can still win the title with a win in his last game against Owen Watson’ Juniors and a Charlie Watt jnr loss in  his final game with adversary Linda Hardie whose own rink has been in the capable hands of Carol Bennett whilst her boss has been getting over the effects of an altercation with a table. Next week will see the completion of this year’s curling season with the final games in Divisions 1 and 3 and the Moray Province Points title that will be decided on Tuesday evening at Moray Leisure Centre.