TEAM STRAWHORN KEEP ASHAM U21 RUN GOING, TEAM MITCHELL CLINCH FIRST TRIUMPH AT SLAM IN PERTH
Congratulations to Team Mitchell (Amy Mitchell, Robyn Mitchell, Hannah Farries, Kirsty Gallacher) (Greenacres) and Team Strawhorn (Jack Strawhorn, Hamish Gallacher, Kaleb Johnston, Rory Macnair, Stewart Kyle) (Dumfries) who triumphed at the Asham Under 21 Slam in Perth.
WOMEN’S COMPETITION
In the absence of Team Henderson, who had won the first two Under 21 Slams of the season, Team Mitchell were the undisputed favourites in Perth. The Greenacres side lived up to expectations, going unbeaten in the section games to secure their place in the play-offs as table toppers.
Up against Aberdeen’s Team Smith (Tamzin Smith, Ailsa Hood, Isla Riddoch, Maisie Dey, Sara Strain), their semi-final got off to a fairly quiet start. Team Mitchell opened the scoring with a single, but Team Smith swiftly responded to level the scores again. A deuce in the third end regained Team Mitchell a slight lead, but the crucial strike followed an end later. Stealing a massive five, they extended the gap to seven points and put the game all but out of reach. Team Smith got a one on the board in End 5, but another deuce for Team Mitchell settled the game.
On the other sheet, the two Dumfries sides Team Archibald (Erin Stewart, Katie Archibald, Tia Laurie, Katie Donald, Jessica Trotter) and Team Jahn (Jenni Jahn, Eve Marchbank, Hannah Green, Rebecca Dalgleish, Jodi Bass) fought out the second semi-final. Team Archibald had only suffered defeat once in the section games and swiftly took the upper hand in the play-off. After opening the encounter with a score of one, they went on to steal singles in the next four ends. Down by five, Team Jahn’s single in End 6 did little to keep their match alive and they subsequently conceded.
A cagey start to the final had Team Mitchell blank the first end before scoring one in the second. Team Archibald retaliated in the second and it was all square again, but the momentum firmly changed in End 3. Team Mitchell scored big with a five on the board that put them well in control at the break. Back on the ice, they marched on with successive steals of one and two respectively. At that point, Team Archibald decided to shake hands, 9-1 standing as the final result.
MEN’S COMPETITION
In a packed men’s field, everything was set for a rematch of the Scottish Juniors final between Dumfries rivals Team O Carson (Orrin Carson, Logan Carson, Archie Hyslop, Charlie Gibb) and Team Strawhorn. Drawn into different sections for the round robin, both sides went into the play-offs as table toppers on two wins.
Team O Carson made a fairly short shift of their semi-final against Team Cameron (Gavin Cameron, Cameron Harkins, Jonathan Buchanan, Lewis Logan) (Moray). After blanking End 1, they scores a three on that Team Cameron could only answer with a single. Team O Carson stretched their advantage even further with a deuce that made it a four-points lead at the break. Back on the ice, Team Cameron were first on the board with a single and followed it up with a steal to cut their deficit. However, a subsequent deuce from Team O Carson in End 7 decided the game.
The second semi-final between Team Strawhorn and Team Tonkita (David Beesley, Jamie Rankin, Callum McLain, Kyle McLain) (Edinburgh) was less straight forward. Although the Dumfriesians opened the scoring with three, Team Tonkita responded with a deuce to prevent their opponents from running away. Trading singles in the next three ends, Team Strawhorn led by two, but Team Tonkita fought back with a deuce that levelled the scores in End 6 and gave the capital side the upper hand. However, Team Strawhorn flipped the hammer advantage with a blank and went on to secure the win by a point.
Heading into the final, Team Strawhorn kept blanking and it took until End 7 for the deadlock to be broken. Eventually, Team O Carson got on the board with a single steal, giving them the lead with one end remaining. Team Strawhorn played a neat End 8 to secure two points and the win.
