Dewars delight forBruce andJen

St Johnstone’s Jason Kerr was a proud captain despite a heartbreaking Scottish Cup quarter-final exit on Sunday.

The Perth club ran Celtic close in front of an 8000-plus McDiarmid Park crowd but were undone nine minutes from time when Zander Clark (below) was beaten by a lucky Ryan Christie free-kick.

Kerr said:“I’m proud. If we perform like that throughout the rest of the season we can get ourselves right up that league. It just goes to show that we can go toe-to-toe against anyone.”

Full report and reaction inside.

Another national curling title was handed out at Perth’s Dewars Centre over the weekend.

And this time the Scottish Mixed Doubles Championship trophy went to the pairing of Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds.

They defeated Scott Andrews and Gina Aitken 8-4 at a Fair City event which welcomed a plethora of top local players.

Perth and Kinross curlers Kyle Smith, Robin Brydone, Mili Smith, Beth Farmer and Eve Muirhead were all out on the ice.

Muirhead, of Blair Atholl, teamed up with Bobby Lammie but they were defeated at the semi-final stage.

“As much as we expected to be playing in the latter parts of this tournament, we didn’t expect to win it,” said Scottish men’s champion Mouat.

“We knew it was going to be tough with all the amazing teams playing here this weekend. We are just elated.”

For Dodds, defeating women’s team-mate Muirhead in the last four match was bittersweet. But she was thrilled to be a national champion.

“It is always hard when you are playing against a team mate and friend,” she said.

“It is mixed emotions because you want to win and you want them to do well as well.

“Before the final, Eve text me to say good luck in the final, so we know the score when you are on the ice.

“But we have the Worlds coming up, we fly next Sunday.

“With Eve getting to the semi-final and all the girls doing well, it has put us in good stead ahead of our World Championships together as a team.”