Kyles hit Bute for seven
David Murdoch’s Scots went down to a disappointing 6-9 defeat by Norway, newcomers at this level, at the Ford World Men’s Curling Championships here in Edmonton, Canada.
Level at 2-2 going into the fourth end, a couple of Scottish mistakes let Norway’s Steffen Walstad score three in the end for a 5-2 lead.
Murdoch drew for two in the fifth end to reduce Norway’s lead and the Scots levelled with a single steal in the sixth when Norway could not remove the scoring Scottish stone as they attempted to clear a collection round the button.
In the seventh end, Murdoch could not completely remove a Norwegian stone, leaving Walstad with an open draw for two shots. Murdoch looked good to level the score in the eighth but his final draw was heavy and through, so the Scots could Kyles Athletic’s impressive start to the season continued as they followed up on two league wins with a 7-1 victory over Bute in the first round of the Artemis Macaulay Cup on Rothesay.
Trebles by Scottish internationals Grant Irvine and Roddy Macdonald and a Sandy Mackenzie goal gave Kyles the win. Former Lovat player Duncan Davidson allowed Bute some consolation.
Newtonmore will host National Division side Caberfeidh in the Mactavish Cup only score one from the end and Norway maintained a lead, reduced to 7-6.
Another heavy draw by Murdoch in the ninth gave Norway a chance to blank the end, and a short draw by Murdoch in the tenth handed Norway an easy hit and stay to score two in the tenth and take the game, by 9-6.
A disappointed Murdoch said: “That’s the frostiest ice I’ve ever seen at a world championship, and it just made it tough when you went a couple down and you had to throw draws.
“It was a total guess for the path and how much frost there is, it’s challenging. We’ll have to deal with it though, I can’t see it changing because this building’s going to be like this.”
He added: “The three [in the fourth end] was the turning point – we got caught out on a couple of lines for the draw. The ice is new and frosty and we’re still guessing the weight, but we’ve got to move on.”
The Scottish men now face USA and then Japan, still looking for their first win. quarter-finals after goals by Iain Robinson and Glen Mackintosh gave the holders a 2-0 win over a stuffy Fort William side at An Aird.
A first-half Martin Dallas brace secured Kingussie’s 2-0 win over Lochaber, keeping the Kings top of the Marine Harvest Premiership.
Kinlochshiel go second as an Oliver Macrae goal three minutes before the interval gave them a 1-0 win over Glasgow Mid Argyll at Yoker. This was Shiel’s third triumph in three league matches.
Home second-half goals by James Macpherson and Fraser Heath cancelled out Greg Matheson’s first-half opener as Glenurquhart beat local rivals Lovat 2-1.