Irish mixed doubles champions, Neil and Alison Fyfe, are currently in Switzerland, playing for the 3rd International Mixed Doubles Trophy in Aarau.
Alison, Anette, Neil and Vincent
Once again they were drawn to play double Olympic champion and multiple world and European champion skip, Anette Norberg from Sweden, and her MD partner, Vincent Stenberg. They put up a blinding display of MD curling against probably the best female curler of her generation.
Neil reports: “Our first game was against Annette Norberg and Vincent Stenberg (a re run of the first Netherlands 🇳🇱 game. The Swedish duo started off well taking a single shot in ends 1 and 2, however Team Fyfe equaled the score after 4 ends by taking a single in the third end then stealing a single in the 4th.
“In the fifth end we managed to restrict the Swedish team to a single shot and then decided not to take our power play in the sixth (probably due to not having been particularly successful when playing the power play recently! Help required please Coach McCrossan!!!). Some really good shots were played in the sixth, however when Alison came to play her last it was impossible to move the Swedish counter which was welded on the button against a couple of other shots and a 1 was conceded.
“Team Fyfe elected to take their power play in the penultimate end and played a blinder. Although the Swedish duo when under pressure played a great double takeout with their last stone to lie first and third shot, Alison countered this with her last stone by removing both Swedish stones leaving Ireland lying 3 shots. One shot going into the last without.
“Team Ireland did their best to get the steal in the last end when Alison drew round a short Swedish stone into the four foot to lie in shot position with her last, although it was only partly hidden. Annette Norberg, like a true Olympic champion however played a good shot with her last and the Irish stone was successfully cleared leaving the Swedish team lying 2 shots. Ireland 5 Sweden 6.”
