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Moray curling latest: Title success for Andy Cameron, Owen Watson's Moray Juniors and Janice Rankin's Moray Firth Ladies as season end approaches


By Bill Jaffrey

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As we approach the end of another curling season, a number of league winners have already been decided.

The Moray curling season is coming to a close. Picture: Daniel Forsyth..
The Moray curling season is coming to a close. Picture: Daniel Forsyth..

In Moray Province East Division 1, a table top clash between Andy Cameron and Alan Campbell resulted in a straightforward win and Division 1 title for the Aberlour rink.

An opening count of five shots took full advantage of the first end hammer for Cameron and another pick up of two in the third end effectively ended the contest with Cameron holding a 7-1 lead.

A single and then two consecutive steals breathed a bit of life into the Buckie team but Cameron’s rink snuffed out the response to run out 10-5 winners and deservedly snare his spot on the champion’s podium.

Kenny Oswald kept his hopes of retaining Division 1 status alive with a solid win over the Sunninghill rink skipped this week by Georgia Clarke. A count of four in the last end confirmed a win for the Elgin team.

The Division 2 title is wide open again after long time front runner Abby Duncan came another cropper, losing heavily to Forres’ Mike MacDonald.

Gordon Fraser has been driving the Duncan bus all season long, but another wheel has dropped off his wagon as a single shot at the opening end was the Fochabers’ rink’s only contribution to the scoreboard.

Charlie Watt jnr has risen quietly to the top of the league with a thrilling 7-6 win against Bob Stewart.

Stewart must have been delighted to be leading 6-0 after four ends, but in the classic 'game of two halves', Watt's Forres rink woke with a bang and two steals of three in the final ends left his Elgin opponents wondering what went wrong.

Mike Macdonald’s remarkable and rare count of seven shots in end five stunned both the crowd and his Fochabers opponent and was instrumental in his 14-7 win to keep his team in the title race.

Division 3 winners are Owen Watson’s Moray Juniors rink who were never behind in their title clash with Alan Douglas.

Three consecutive two-shot counts after an opening end deuce gave the juniors an 8-6 win and what a week it has been for Watson and co.

Sunday saw them reach the final of the Scottish Schools Championship where they gave a fantastic account of themselves all weekend to just be pipped by Perth Academy in the final.

Andrew Allardyce came out on top in his club clash with Helen Downey. Despite a pick up of two shots in the first end, Downey’s team struggled thereafter with the wily Allardyce scoring at each of the next four ends to win 10-3 and confirm his Division 3 status for next year.

Janice Rankin’s Moray Firth Ladies are Division 4 champions after a 9-3 win over Jodi Best’s Buckie team.

Penalised several shots for a late start, Best’s team of newcomers and returning stars have nevertheless had a very encouraging first season, winning four of their nine games.

Moray Province East league tables
Moray Province East league tables

In the West, Division 1 champion Ali Fraser dropped his only point of the season in an exciting 4-4 draw with clubmate Ruaridh Greenwood and Ali Asher confirmed his mid table position with a 7-3 win over Mark Fraser.

In their basement battle, Jamie Cattell was a big winner over Gus Forbes. Despite loss of one at the first end, Cattell proceeded to score at each of the next five for a convincing 12-1 victory.

Mike McInnes is still in with a shout of the Division 2 title after a 12-4 win over Ricky Marwick albeit he is four points behind leader Larry Kerr, and Ian Thomson pulled away from Fiona Steel with a 10-5 win over the ladies.

Moray Province West
Moray Province West

Results

Moray Province East League

Division 1

A. Cameron (Aberlour) 10 A. Campbell (Buckie) 5

D. Ross (Sunninghill) 3 K. OswaId (Elgin) 9

Division 2

C. Watt jnr ( Forres) 7 R. Stewart (Elgin) 6

W. Cameron (Aberlour) 11 A. Duncan (Fochabers) 1

M. McDonald (Forres) 14 A. Durno (Fochabers) 7

Division 3

A. Allardyce (Elgin) 10 H. Downey (Elgin) 3

A. Douglas (Darnaway) 6 O. Watson (Moray Juniors) 8

Division 4

J. Rankin (Moray Firth Ladies) 9 J. Best (Buckie) 3

Moray Province West League

Division 1

J. Cattell (Nairn) 12 A. Forbes (Nairn) 1

A. Fraser (Ardclach) 4 R. Greenwood (Ardclach) 4

M. Fraser (Dalcross) 3 A. Asher (Nairn) 7

Division 2

F. Steel (Nairn Ladies) 5 I. Thomson (Dalcross) 10

M. McInnes (Nairn) 12 R. Marwick (Nairn) 4


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