Month: December 2018

Promotion, relegation, pride, or nothing to play for, there was something of everything in tonight’s final round.

D Reid 6 – 3 S Smith

With big Dougie busy in Forfar qualifying for the Scottish Seniors, Mark Guthrie led the team to their 3rd win. The nail in Stuart Smith’s promotion hopes was the loss of 3 in the sixth to trail by 4. Managing a single in the seventh, Stuart was run out of stones in the last and finishes in 5th place. While already relegated, the win moves Dougie’s team up to 9th place overall.

T Wilson 3 – 11 J Craig

With relegation assured for the loser, Tommy started well with a 2, only for President Jim Kirkwood to reply with a 3 at the second. Jim then stole singles in the third and fourth, before Tommy scored in the sixth. In the eighth, with three stones to play, Jim lay two stones frozen on the T and a third in line, back 12. Tommy’s take-out attempt sailed straight past leaving Jim to guard with a fourth counter, top 12. In trying to draw the button with his last, Tommy’s shot was through the back of the house. The win moves John Craig’s rink up to 7th, while Tommy slipped to 10th.

J Young 2 – 11 H Reid

In the big top v bottom clash, it was going to be a hard job for Jim Young to do a “Southampton” against the unbeaten Hugh Reid. Big ends for Hugh in the second, fourth and fifth sealed Jim’s rinks fate and they finished in last place. For Hugh it confirmed his achievement of being unbeaten in the Cuthbertson league for two seasons running.

T Reid 16 – 2 L Montgomerie

This match between Lorna “I’m safe” Montgomerie and Tom “I need a good win” Reid, was only going to end one way. The first six ends had a familiar pattern with Tom taking 2, stealing 4, give 1, repeat. A four to Tom in the seventh moves him to 4th overall and rounded off a miserable league campaign for Lorna who finished 8th. Despite avoiding relegation, Lorna wants to return to playing at 3rd next year.

P Barrett 2 – 6 D Mundell

Peter Barrett’s slim hope of grabbing the final promotion spot were soon dashed by David Mundell. Taking a 2 in the first and followed by three steals, David was taking on and making the big shots that mattered. Peter got on the scoresheet with singles in the fifth and sixth. Finishing after the seventh, David took the final promotion slot while Peter finished 6th.

Next up

Howie League Match Day 1 – January 6th 2019 @ 17:30 – Rinks 1 – 10.

In three of tonights four games, it really was a case of “a game of two halves.”

H Reid 8 – 6 T Wilson

It took until the last stone in the ninth end for Hugh Reid to get the fat lady singing, but singing she is. Having won the first four ends, everything was going to plan with Hugh beating Tommy Wilson 6-1 after six ends. The seventh started with some short guards which Tommy got around to put the pressure on. Unable to clear the front, it only got worse for Hugh as Tommy took a four. Tommy then stole a single in the eighth to tie the game 6-6. In the ninth, again a big head built up with Tommy lying 2, leaving Hugh to pick his way through the guards. Hugh’s final shot came down with enough weight to shift both of Tommy’s stones to win by 2. Only bottom of the table Jim Young can now prevent Hugh Reid going unbeaten for the second season running.

T Reid 8 – 10 D Mundell

With David Mundell scoring 3 in the 2nd, then stealing 2’s in the 3rd, 4th and 5th ends, this game looked destined for an early end. Restricted to a single in the 6th, Tom Reid trailed 9-2, but then, like the game next door, it all changed. In the seventh, Tom stole a 4 to put the brakes on Dave’s runaway train but it was all a bit too late. Despite another 2 in the ninth, Dave took the advantage in the race for the 3rd promotion place.

P Barrett 9 – 6 J Craig

Still not safe from relegation, vice-president John Craig handed responsibility to president Jim Kirkwood to try and get a much needed win. All was going well and after winning four of the first five ends, Jim was leading Peter Barrett 6-2. On tricky ice, Peter’s young rink were struggling to match the shots of Jim’s more mature rink. Another 4 was to change the game, only this time Peter got it in the 6th end to tie the game. Getting two early stones round the guards was the key to Peter stealing 2 in the seventh. The eighth followed a similar pattern with Jim trying to clear guards to no avail.

M Noble 6 – 10 S Smith

Playing his last game, Malcolm Noble needed a win against Stuart Smith to keep the pressure on Hugh Reid. Malcolm opened with a 3, which Stuart countered with a 2, then stole a single. After six ends the rinks were tied 6-6 with the turning point again coming in the seventh. This time it was Stuart who took a 3 and followed it with a single steal to move up to fourth place. Despite the loss, Malcolm’s rink have secured second place in the league behind Hugh Reid.

What’s Next

With Hugh Reid and Malcolm Noble securing first and second, there are four rinks chasing the final promotion slot. David Mundell’s win over Tom Reid puts him in pole position, but with an inferior shots difference, must beat Peter Barrett. If Mundell falters, Stuart Smith would move into third with a win over already relegated Douglas Reid. If Smith loses, then Peter Barrett or Tom Reid could claim the final spot. With Barrett having a two shot advantage over Reid, it could be an interesting contest.

At the bottom of the table, with John Craig playing Tommy Wilson, Jim Young and Douglas Reid are already relegated barring exceptional results. A peeled game between Craig and Wilson would relegate Craig. It would also leave Reid needing a 12 shot win over Stuart Smith to escape and relegate Wilson as well. A more likely result will be that the loser of the Craig – Wilson game is relegated.

After tonights games, the fat lady is not quite singing, but she may be next week.

M Noble 10 – L Montgomerie 3

Malcolm Noble kept up his title hopes with a convincing whitewashing of Lorna Montgomerie’s team. Sitting out the final night, Noble’s rink is at least assured of promotion and must win his last game to keep the title race open. Also with only one game left, Lorna still has it in her own hands to avoid relegation.

H Reid 6 – 4 S Smith

With his eighth straight win, Hugh Reid has all but sown up the league title with two games to spare. 2 points and 5 shots clear with a game in hand, this should be a formality for the untouchables. Already safe from relegation, Stuart Smith could still steal the last promotion slot if other results go his way.

D Reid v T Wilson

Fortunately for Tommy Wilson, he decided to take a night off in London and leave it to third Simon Grant, to secure the rinks second win. Arriving back fresh from a weekend playing in the Scottish Seniors qualifiers, Douglas Reid put up a good fight. Grant thought he had won with a single in the eighth before he realised the bell had not gone. With lots of stones in play in the ninth, an angled raise by Grant with his last shot left Reid with a difficult double take-out to win. With the final shot wrecking on the guards, Wilson steps back out of the relegation zone, leaving Reid looking for favours next week.

J Young 3 – 10 P Barrett

Contrary to the final scoreline, this was a closely fought contest with Peter Barrett’s rink often having to clear a way in. A sixth defeat in a row leaves Jim Young’s rink firmly at the foot of the table. Sitting out match day 12, they could be relegated before their last game against the untouchable Hugh Reid. Safe from relegation, Barrett still has an outside chance of promotion.

What’s Next

Hugh Reid will secure the title by taking a point from Tommy Wilson or, if Malcolm Noble fails to beat Stuart Smith. With Tom Reid and David Mundell playing each other, only one can catch Noble for 2nd. Both Smith and Barrett still have a chance of getting the final promotion spot if results go their way.

Bottom two, Jim Young and Douglas Reid sit out match day 12 as does seventh placed Lorna Montgomerie. They will all be hoping that both John Craig and Tommy Wilson lose their games against Barrett and Hugh Reid.