Emphatic wins for Muirhead’s Scots

Curling: Scottish women defeat Germany and Italy in European Championships

Scotland’s women Team Muirhead claimed another two wins at the Le Gruyère AOP European Curling Championships.

They defeated Germany 8-5 to conclude the third day of action at St Gallen, Switzerland, having earlier beaten the Italian rink 8-1 in six ends.

Skip Eve Muirhead said after their match against Germany: “It was another solid performance tonight.

“We had a six point lead early on and it is the best and also the worst time to have that kind of lead. It gets your heads up, but it is a long 10 ends to keep the lead.

“But we did that and scored in the even ends and didn’t give them many chances.”

Tactical Coach Glenn Howard said: “It was another terrific game with impressive starts – they really came out of the blocks at each end and they were all over Germany in those first three ends.

“There are lots of positives for the girls, who then cruised to the end.

“It has been another good day for Team Scotland,” he added.

Scotland’s women have just one match tomorrow and take on Turkey whose progress they have been keeping an eye on.

Muirhead added: “I don’t think we have played them before and I have been looking across at them from time to time and have seen that they are playing well and have been pinpointing their shots.

“However, we will play our own game and respect that they have wins on board and are playing well.”

Team Smith also had a two-game day and they bounced back from their 4-6 loss to Germany earlier in the day to thump Slovakia 8-1 in six ends.

The contest between the teams looked to be over after the second end when Team Smith were already 5-0 up by that stage.

From there the Scots executed their shots with precision, eliminating any chances for their opponents to score.

Coach Viktor Kjell said after the match: “It was one of those games where you are heavy favourites and you have to go out and play your own game as a unit, and the team did exactly what they had to do to get the job done.

“The boys totally dominated them and we will take the win and move on,” he said.

Skip Kyle Smith described it as one of the strangest matches he has played but agreed with Kjell that they had the formula to win the match from the outset.

“Our plan had been to blank the first end but we ended up setting up some really good angles from the start and I actually missed a shot for a three and settled for a two, so we had a really good start,” said Smith.

Team Smith now face defending champions Team Edin from Sweden.

After that match they play Edin’s fellow world champions Team Ulsrud from Norway.

It has been another good day for Team Scotland. GLENN HOWARD

Picture: SNS. Eve Muirhead, whose Scottish women’s team are in fine form.