Mon 16th April 2012 – Day 3

MEN – IRELAND 8 ENGLAND 6

Ireland’s men played their least convincing game here at the World Senior Curling Championships in Tårnby this afternoon against England. Although a good win in the end, skip Johnjo Kenny was not firing all cylinders this time. But curling is a team game and steady play from Tony Tierney, David Whyte and Bill Gray set up a big four at the third end after the men went 3 – 0 down to a clearly pumped up English quartet. A steal of one in the fourth took them into a two shot lead but England hit back with a two in the fifth.

The sixth saw a cracker from David Whyte set up the steal of three that took Ireland into a comfort zone. The seventh was basically the English drawing and the Irish hitting for most of the end with Michael Sutherland hitting the four foot for the single.

In the last end, Irish lead Tony Tierney had his moment of glory when he played the most terrific ten-out-of-ten tick shot. We were all still talking about that when Michael Sutherland’s last gasp attempt for a tap back on the Irish shot stone to lie two and put the pressure back on Ireland clipped a guard and it was game over.

WOMEN – IRELAND 2 CANADA 11

The Irish women’s team were annihilated by the might of the Canadian Senior ladies in their second game here in Copenhagen at the World Senior Curling Championships.

Up against 11-time Scott Tournament of Hearts veterans, the ladies got a lesson in everything to do with curling – from tactics through to shot play, sweeping and communication. You name it – they did it way, way better. The highlight was a rogue stone from the next sheet flying over onto the guard the Canadian skip was trying to draw round. She was mid-slide when this happened so perhaps it put her off but she was heavy, leaving Irish skip Marie O’Kane plenty room to draw the button.

A severe dressing down from coach Gordon McIntyre at half time improved things and the teams swapped singles but it was all over a long time before the last stone was played by Marie to take a one at the end of the sixth end making the scoreline 11-2 to Canada.

MEN – IRELAND 7 USA 3

Ireland’s men recorded their second victory here in Tårnby this morning when beating the USA 7-3 in seven ends in the second round in their group at the World Senior Curling Championships. Skip Johnjo Kenny continues in a rich vein of form making shot after shot.

Two up after the first end, Johnjo faced three USA counters in the second. Two at ten o’ clock on one side and one a two o’ clock on the other. In a game changing moment he doubled the two on the left hand side before rolling right across the rink to freeze on top of the third shot. The shell shocked USA skip had to draw the button for one.

All the Irish team were playing well, inspired by their skip. Bill Gray came in at third today and David Hume dropped to the bench.
In the sixth end the USA were in a good position to get a two, but the big man snuffed out all hope of them raising their own front stone to the button behind cover by half checking it, leaving the skip nothing but the draw for the one.

It the seventh, Bill got a nick of a guard he was peeling, the stone sped into the house and cleared two stones there before rolling out leaving the USA men to scratch their heads in bewilderment. It was plain sailing after that and when the USA skip’s last stone caught the guard when attempting to follow Johnjo’s first stone in behind cover, the Irish curling legend drew for his two and it was handshake time.

The men now face England at 4pm. Ireland men have played two and won two, the English are on one and one. The Irish ladies play Canada this evening.

If you want to send a message of support, or otherwise,  to the teams our e-mail address’s are –
irl_m@wscc2012.com
irl_w@wscc2012.com