FRASER POCKETS WEST . 3 WAY TIE IN EAST

Ardclach’s Ally Fraser has once again won the Moray Province West Division 1 title after a big win against Nairn’s Larry Kerr. The serial winners were in imperious form ,racing to a 5-0 lead before their opponents picked up their sole shot of the night. A pick up of 6 shots in the fifth was more than enough for Kerr and co to shake hands and congratulate their opponents on yet another League triumph.
Fraser’s Ardclach clubmate Ruaridh Greenwood nudged his rink into second spot with an equally impressive win over Ali Asher. In an extraordinary game of big scores, Asher’s count of 5 at what became the last end was his only counter against the Greenwood machine that led 13-0 after the opening 3 ends, having registered a 5 and then two 4 shot steals.
On a considerably calmer sheet C, Mark Fraser and Mike McInnes shared the points in a gentlemanly 5-5 draw. A stolen deuce at the last end might have slightly soured the taste of Mcinnes’ bedtime hot chocolate.
Jamie Cattell’s 100% record was finally curtailed by Fiona Steel and her Nairn Ladies. Despite the loss of single shots at each of the opening 3 ends, the Ladies rallied to draw level after 5. Neither team could do better than to count 1 at the last two ends in a 4-4 peel.
Gus Forbes confirmed his promotion to Division 1 with a comprehensive win over Ricky Marwick. The latter’s 1 shot score at the fourth end was his only reply to a rampant Forbes four who had led 6-0 after three ends in their 9-1 victory.
Ian Thomson and Ernie Nicholson’s basement battle was only just a contest as the Thomson’s team were 6-0 up after 3 ends and a count of 4 in the sixth was enough to seal Ernie’s fate and condemn him to the deepest depths of the Division.
In contrast to the already decided West honours, there will be the closest of finishes in East Division 1. With only the final round of fixtures to play, three teams are locked on 14 points.
Andy Cameron and Alan Campbell have a significant shots up advantage over Forres’s Charlie Watt and will play each other next week. Watt can be champion only if he wins and the other two draw and he kept his title hopes alive this week with a significant win over Alan Campbell. 3-0 up after two ends, a loss of three at the third put a dent in the Forres hopes,but a steal of 2 in end six and a further two at the last gave Watt the 8-4 win.
In a rearranged game, Campbell boosted his chances with an 8-4 win of his own against Dave McPherson’s Tennis team. In a very competitive match it was 4 apiece with 2 ends left. Campbell cleverly blanked the sixth and then a count of 4 at the last gave the Buckie boys the two points they desperately craved.
In Division 2 Abby Duncan has edged 2 points ahead of Sunninghill’s Donald Ross with just one game left to play. A 10-7 win against the still pointless Alan Douglas contained counts of 3 and a decisive 5. The Darnaway rink must have thought their League duck might be about to be broken as they pulled out to a 4-0 lead but it was their hearts rather than their duck that took the hit as the ruthless Duncan came back once again, this time from a 7-3 defecit to register 7 more shots over the last 3 ends.
Division 3 is now done and dusted and Andrew Allardyce will join Aberlour’s Jim Gault in Division 2 next season. In the tightest of games, the old warhorse Allardyce just pipped Katie Gordon’s Juniors in a single shot victory thriller. With the callow youth of Mike Kemp and Julia Walker at skip and third, a steal of three in end 6 sneaked the Elgin team into a 6-4 lead going down the last and Katie could only score a single to come up just short in her promotion campaign.
Linda Hardie and her Forres team have leapfrogged Helen Downey, albeit that both will now face relegation. A 4 shot Forres count in the second end in a game of single shot scores decided the outcome in Linda’s favour.
In Division 4 , Gemma Forgie’s Moray Juniors completed a very creditable campaign with a friendly 6-6 peel against Jim Walls. It was 4 ends apiece in a swiftly played contest with Walls coming from a 6-4 deficit to pick up shots at the last two ends for his share of the spoils.