Moray Province East curling: Alan Campbell defeats Andy Cameron's rink to move to the top of Division 1 for Christmas

Alan Campbell’s Buckie team surged to the summit in their top of the table Division 1 clash with Aberlour’s Andy Cameron in the Moray Province East League this week.

On extremely straight ice it was easier to find curl on Kojak’s bonce as the Buckie team adapted to conditions more quickly than their Speyside opponents to score at each of the first four ends and race to an 8-0 lead.

Single shots were exchanged at the next two ends and with two ends to go it looked as if Campbell’s lads were in easy street.

However a two at the next end and then lying a potential game saving six shots at the last end, the Aberlour team certainly gave Buckie fourth player Steve Rankin something to think about as he crouched to throw the final stone.

With his last shot sliding against the handle, Rankin was nevertheless relieved to hit a front stone and cut the count to a loss of four and a handshake for a 9-7 win.

Also finding the ice difficult to read were the Elgin Tennis Club lads who found themselves 6-0 down after the opening three ends but unlike Cameron’s Aberlour, never quite found a way back into the game against Bill Jaffrey’s Fochabers rink.

Skip Wilson Burnett produced a stellar performance with the highlight being a superbly thrown hit and roll and then a perfect draw to count three in the fifth end to seal the fate of the ball boys in a convincing 11-2 win.

Kenny Oswald and his Elgin rink continue to have their troubles this season and dropped another point against Donald Ross’s Sunninghill team.

The defending league champions were 5-1 ahead after three ends, but a strong second half by the hoteliers saw a philosophical OswaId shake hand with opposing skip Angus Gunn.

Divisions 3 and 4 will play their final games of the year next week as the Christmas break arrives.

Results

Moray Province East League

Division 1:

D. Ross (Sunninghill) 6 K. OswaId (Elgin) 6

D. McPherson (Elgin Tennis Club) 2 W. Jaffrey (Fochabers) 11

A. Campbell (Buckie ) 9 A. Cameron (Aberlour) 7

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