21/02/2012 Scottish Curling Championships

At just 21 years old, Eve Muirhead has achieved so much in such a

short time. The four time winner of the junior title, she has skipped

her way to the senior championship in two of the last three years, but

it didn't go her way 12 months ago when Anna Sloan range Supreme at

the Scottish. They played together at junior level, winning the title

in 2009 and 2011, so they joined forces again and stormed to victory

in the European championships last year. It was a dream team everyone

was aiming to beat this week. How low and a warm welcome to the

Dewars Centre in Perth and the Co- Operative Funeralcare Scottish

Women's Championship. The winner will go on to represent Scotland at

the world championships later this year in Canada. Eve Muirhead is

here to do battle, but her competitors were determined it

Eve Muirhead faced Jackie. After eight ends it was all over, 9-2.

After a week of intense competition, it came to the last two to go head

to head for the Scottish title. I must speak to you about the

experience you have had with this rink. How many times have you

played before in these played before in these

championships? None! How did you go about putting this rink together?

tried some experienced people, and the option to put a few juniors

together was put to me by the national coach, and I thought if I

am going to do it, I am going to do it with some of my own. I have a

few girls from Stranraer. I am guessing with two young girls and

the rink, it must be a difficult job. To be honest, they do as they

are told and it makes my job easy. You have had another great year,

Eve. We could probably not have asked for a better season so far.

We won the European Championships, and we got better and better. At

the start of the year, we were not sure how we would go. So far, so

good. Here is Eve's team. Gail Munroe won the Scottish in 2008

with Lyndsay Cumming. In the commentary box, a lot of experience

commentary box, a lot of experience - Jackie look at alongside Bob

Kelly. We will join the match at the start of the third end. The

She will go aggressive, she will put it in the corner. I have played

with her long enough! She calls a pretty aggressive game, doesn't

she? She likes to make the skill factor account. It is the kind of

game you have got a call if you are going to succeed at the top level.

The very much so. Even the Olympics. And she has that experience under

her belt now, so she is happy to take the game on. It was really an

amazing match-up between age and experience, and even youth and

experience really. The Eve Muirhead team average age is 22, and yet

between them they have a wealth of experience. Eve herself has four

used world championships, a world championship silver medal, and an

appearance at the Olympic Games. For somebody so young, it is really

amazing. Yes, she has a fantastic future in the curling World. On the

other hand, Gail Munroe has years of experience and I think that has

shown this week. Earlier in the week she said she was playing this

like every day curling. The that's right, because she and Lyndsay

Cumming have a Scottish championship title under their

the best out of them. Hamilton trying to get behind that guard

that she placed, that is one of the reasons for putting it there.

Either to make her draw around it, or to get a hit and roll. Not quite,

but I think we will see if there is enough of this one available. Gail

yellow. The yellow goes. It got a little help from her own one in the

house, but she still lost it. It is is going to go too far. Yes, she

wanted to hold that one, didn't she? Yes, she really needed to sit

anywhere near the rings. As expected, Gail will take off the

corner because that is the corner Eve needs to pick up her two.

Cautious stuff from Gail Munroe, not wanting to leave this one in

play. She will try to hit it, take away the options from her opponent,

using that one as a guard. It looks like it is swinging too much. I

don't think she is going to stick around. So, nothing in play. This

is why these corner guards, as we call them short stones, are so

important. Eve Muirhead always wanted to convert that into the

score and at the moment there is she did. Still persevering with the

short play. She has called the other side, which is always good.

You like to try and old fox your opponents, and she is saying I will

let you try the other side to see if you can hit and roll here.

sun didn't come all that far off the centre line. I don't think it

is an opportunity for Gail Munroe. Doesn't want to get this one on the

nose. That is pretty much what she has done. Still there. Gail

apologised and said sorry, so I am one, looks like a skipping error.

It is Anna Sloan. Of these you two here. Very well worked by the

sweeper's. She really needed to make as much room as possible

between the red and the yellow. That lets you see what a team game

it is. The Eve Muirhead herself sweeping. All three of them.

that is a mistake from Lyndsay Cumming. Gail Munroe, her skip, was

generous with the mistake she had with her first stone but I think we

have to put a be to blame on Lyndsay Cumming for that one. That

was a bad miss. Have to make contact with that red, so the Eve

Muirhead team sitting won -- sitting nicely. You can see Eve

Muirhead tapping her brush. They are trying to make sure there is no

double take-out chance. Anna Sloan missed her draw to life two in the

first end, but that was two lovely shots from Anna Sloan. Gail

Munroe's team staring down they loss of two. Not a lot Gail Munroe

can do here, other than hope for a mistake from Eve Muirhead. That is

a key short Anna Sloan played. Right in behind the red, and that

could be the stone that would give Eve Muirhead a's team a score of

two that they would need. We were discussing how there is not much

swaying on the ice but they certainly got that one round there.

Certainly some stones this week have had more curling than others,

whether you call them wrote stones or not, but the teams have been

using them to their advantage. you are saying there is a

difference to the way the stones are performing, and the teams have

to try to identify those ones and use them to their advantage. Yes,

we have had some that have drawn more or travelled further, so a big

part of the game is matching your stones so you know what they are

doing and how you can handle them. It has become a big bit of the game,

and it is the teams that Hamble that side of it better that get the

exactly where Anna Sloan had it. They really can't go too far back

with this one. As long as they keep it in the house, that is a good

this one. In doing so, she is saying to her but opponent I am

going to draw for a two. Anything else, she could try to run the red

back at the bottom of the picture, but she would have to hit it. She

just has to settle for getting this one on the nose. Given Eve Muirhead

a bit more to do them her last one. I think she will say, OK macro --

OK, I am losing a two. But it will not be more than a two. That was as

good as she could do. That is what Eve Muirhead will have to beat. I

think she is playing it down the same line as that one. She is

trying to play the same shot. The big chance for the Eve Muirhead

team to get a two-shot lead in this Has she given this enough? I think

that she has not got enough here. Go! Has she done it? What a

sweeping. I did not think it was going to get anywhere near as far

as that. She has made it just. After three ends, Eve Muirhead's

team has got three. Gail Munro has to be in the rings. But I guess the

girls have swept that as far as they could. She will be a bit

disappointed with that. She will just pick up a two. You want to

make sure you get your first shop top drawer. What do you think?

would hope these girls have got plenty left to. They are part of

the Scottish Institute UK Sport programme. They were training four

times a week. They are on the ice practising at least three or four

macro times a week so they should have the stamina. I will not feel

sorry for them in that case! A couple of short stones there. Gail

Munro's team at failing to take advantage. Clare is second.

line is good, it is big. It is good now. It is a long way out, this one.

Trying to come out there. The weight is pretty good, but I think

that is wide open. Eve Muirhead of Peru that good. I don't suppose

they have had that shot. They have not played that piece of ice. It

would be nice to think that these services are the same all the way

across, but that is not the case. It takes skill to know which bits

curled a bit more all a bit less. Just rolled out a bit more than she

wanted, of course. Easy barrier. Eve Muirhead, even although it she

plays this defensive game, she does not have come at here. -- have the

hammer. If you take out the key Well, but she did not hoard that

one so now a bit of a chance for the Gail Munro's team. They will

have been down this side two ends before so she should know what this

guard. Where is the guard going to go? Good. It was not too bad. Got

one in the rings. The bit to the left. Gail Munro does not want too

many stones on that centre line area. She does not want the centre

line to get too cluttered up. She will use her last stone if she

was expecting, but she got it on the nose so that is the second best

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that would be fine. But the short again. Just court this shot.

Deflected it slightly. Still got the one on the house. But it had

the effect of moving the stones away from the centre line and that

is not so bad from woman to's point better. This has got a lot of

drawing Today if it is going to get in. It seems to be doing all its

swinging at the very last minute. But that is quite a few stones that

the girls have slightly overcooked. They have got to get them pretty

tight to make sure that they get them up. They cannot expect to get

it at the last minute. They need to tighten up, straighten up a little

bit. This one is open, trying to make the road. Very nice! Grayshott.

-- great shot. Looking for the role in behind the two shortbread ones.

Sweeping to hold the line. It is always dangerous if you never got

behind the yellow properly. Gail plays it out of the left hand.

Slightly easier for delivery and coming around the corner. Always

good to have a left hand person in They are going to have to work hard.

That is a lovely shot from an at Sloane. Very well played. Eve

Muirhead knew exactly where to put the brush. Nicely executed by Anna

Sloan. Had to be careful if that had over cold, it would have caught

out red stone at the top. There was an element of danger there, but it

was beautifully played by Ms Sloan. Nice sweeping. Linsey Cummings

trying to follow the same stone now. Will she tried to move this? Maybe

can you be? The girls tried to sweep that really well. There is a

big swing -- swing. It looked quite a way out. Just a deflection.

is a difference of a left hand person playing against a right hand

person. The Yellowstone just left 12. Pretty much a right in front of

the yellow. Already there. She said it was OK, that is a bit further in.

Good. This looks wide and high. You have to put it down as a miss

and that is not good. I think you can tell that she is not terribly

happy with that. Nice let off for Gail Munro who would have been

facing that yellow one at the guard. She will now get a chance to make a

play on that one. I wonder whether it she might play it quietly, but

it looks as if she might be trying a bit. There is that brush being

held by Lynsey coming. It looks like she is trying to attack that

back. Maybe she will try to get inside the left? Is there room to

do that? It is going to be tight. That is a half wait. It is a poorer

weight of than I thought she was intended, I think. She grew that

harder than she had meant to Andy did not coal because of that. Just

got half of it. I think this is where it comes down to confidence

as well. If you are confident and you sit down and draw right up to

it... Gale's draw did not draw that much. There was too much ice, too

far away from the object stone. Without question, this game

involves draws that are not like the ones we have had for the rest

of the week. Quite difficult to readjust when you have been playing

all week with big swings. It is good on the ice we have here, but

maybe not the same. She really wanted to be in the top four. She

is just slightly overthrowing. is in the rings. She is making Gail

Munro face two. Certainly not what she was hoping for. They should be

relatively simple for Gail Munro. I in than the last one was forced off

this is a dangerous shot. It would be a simple shot just to get one in.

The girls are sweeping this really hard. She has made a mistake there.

I don't think we are eating any words, that is a big mistake. She

has given two to the Muirhead team. Muirhead as ruthless as ever. In

the sixth end she was playing catch-up. The deserters say, a team

get the two shops up, gets too defensive, you have got to be

careful. As you pointed out earlier, you can lose the two, get a one,

lose a two, and you can lose the lead very quickly. They that is all

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it takes. Gail Munro could be right mistake Gail Munro was looking for.

It doesn't guarantee making a two. Lyndsay Cumming has got to get a

draw round that one, and it could set them up to make a two, get

right back into the game. They think about, they have just got to

get the ice right. They are not touching this one at all, it looks

like it could be running a little problem of course is it is so far

back there is a fair bit of distance between them, and it makes

it easier for Eve Muirhead. She can play a take out on it. How much do

you think she will seek of that one? I think she can probably seek

it is no problem. Nicely played. A big weight from Eve, she cracked

that one up. We still leave the yellow one up here, and we still

leave the opportunity for Gail Munro to better this draw. Putting

the pressure on Eve again. Yes, really got to make this one though.

Gail Munro to throw, so only two stones left in this end. She really

wants to count them both so this She took more ice than Lyndsay

Cumming has, but that is not to say she is playing a swinging stone.

more of these stones moved a little bit more than others. The art was a

nice try but I don't think it finished at the end as much as she

was expecting. I think it is pretty much the same shot for Eve. She can

probably see about half of this one from the far end. Just didn't took

--tuck in enough. She will be happy close was that?! You can tell from

the pitch in Eve's voice that she was worried about that one. A touch

of relief in her face! That read one would still have been there. I

knew I was going to make it! It looks like Gail is going to take

one here. There is nothing in the house, but she has worked out

tactically she could narrow the gap to three. In it comes, and that is

one to the Munro team. Five shots to Muirhead and six to mourn row

after two ends. It wouldn't be the way I would do it, she now has to

set about stealing. It is going to be tough. We will see, we have been

wrong before. Will my tactics pay- off?

She has got has got back to 5-2 but she has given up the hammer to Eve

Muirhead. Gail Munro took a one in the last

end which I thought was a strange call, I would have blanked it and

tried to get a two but she has gone in gung-ho. She was four down, had

a chance to blank, chose to take one and narrowed the deficit to

three. Now she has got to throw as much as she can short of the rings

down the centre line. Hope for a few misses from the Muirhead rink.

Then she will be in a position to steal. That is not perfect from

Hamilton, she really wanted that one short of the tee line. It could

be used to freeze her opponent. These are crucial shots. I do get

the feeling the ice up the centre is pretty fast. It seems to be

taking one in the last end. She may feel that the team will be more

equipped to play down the centre. That is a couple of good shots from

Jodie Milroy have their. She has that even the top international

players find difficult. This is a nice shot from tour. -- Claire.

Muirhead doesn't want stones in play but she obviously doesn't like

the Red Death on the centre line. She is trying to make it more

difficult for Gail Munro to get to move those shots, I suspect they

will do that. The Monroe could -- Maugham wrote team could get this

one round the back, and indeed they Muirhead straight out. Far as

expected, she is just going to clear these centre stones. Happy to

to get separation from the one she is about to play and the red that

is already short to try to stop Team Muirhead. She wants to get

distance between them, so this is a tricky shot. Must get it over the

have played very well this week. Even under pressure, they have

still managed to throw some lovely stones. Yes, must be a big occasion

for them. New territory. The final of the Scottish women's

championship. This team just got together very recently. They hadn't

played together at all before they came here. And how well off they

done? Gail just going to replace this long guard once again. The two

young girls just joined this team a few weeks ago. I was told the story

that a local Stranraer lady curler, when they heard they were joining

Gail Munro and Lyndsay Cumming, offered to make some stones for

them. Apparently they have to phone her and tell them to keep making

them because they were going so well! What a great championship

they are having. Fighting hard. Setting this end up pretty well.

Eve Muirhead is going to after work pretty hard to get out of this one.

These ones are closer together. possibility of a double here. That

looks a little bit high. She is It is quite a high Line, this one.

lifting the two. Try to hit that read. On the left-hand edge of the

other bread, tried to get that. It but it was a misjudgment. Very

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close indeed, but still there. see Eve Muirhead thinking, a chance

to get rid of that one. Gail Munro might put on a better one so this

is a chance to get rid of the short stone. It will be a -- quite a

waiter, need to get past the long one on the house. It is interesting

hearing her say No. 3 to her speakers. Maybe one it swings more

than the other one. I guess it probably a Swing there are here. --

Where has the should have gone? Great Chart. -- a great shot. Now

she is lying or rather well. That was a lovely shot. If she had come

a bit tighter and hit a yellow one, it could have been a disaster. But

she has played that very, very well. The role was away so there was no

cover. That is right, not many options for Gail Munro now. She

will have to play a draw, that is all she has. That is on the other

side of the house where the play has been. She will have to swing

one round. Maybe the yellow. This is a bit short for one macro --

woman two. If she does any of it to Eve Muirhead... She took the long

shot. She gave up the last Stones, two stones to come this end.

Absolutely vital that Gail Munro gets this one under cover. It needs

to be protected. Only then will it count before stop it is coming now.

she? A nice try from a gale, but this was the opportunity that Eve

Muirhead needed. Tapped that back and scored a four. It would quite

literally be game over if that was the case. The sweeper's maybe could

have been on it. The weight was good. The important thing was

getting a hide. But the yellow in the house so most of the shot

A nice shot. I think she has nailed it. She has! That is a huge a four.

Extended lead a. Back comes after for Gail Munro. All Eve Muirhead's

Eve Muirhead's team to play for. It is an empty house, nothing out

front either. No comfort for Gail four reds. You have got to think

that Gail Munro's team are going to that it is one game too far. But

can they hold their heads up high? They have had an exceptional week

here in Perth. Anna Sloan is going to clear this now. Play. Play.

last stone. Again, a short of the could be the two that she is

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championship is in the bag. course and at Sloane is the

reigning champion, defeated Eve Muirhead last year. The combination

has proven to be a successful one this year. European Championship in

December and it looks as though they are going to win this Scottish

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few moments. Apart from when the four was scored. Been playing a

simple game. They have played the game pretty well, haven't they?

Gail Munro could have had a chance for two, but she did not capitalise

on it. Gail Munro is a last on a She is happy to concede. Yes it is,

the second session. A big disappointment for Eve Muirhead's

team. But just not strong enough for the Eve Muirhead machine. Eve

Muirhead, and that this loan, the Vicki Adams. They are the Scottish

champions. -- Anna Sloan. Congratulations, Scottish champions

once again. You must be delighted. Yes we are, we always knew that it

would be a hard event. Every team wants to be you and in the final,

we could not ask for much more. We played solidly and I don't think we

had any miss shots out there. won the Scottish year last year, it

has been very successful this year. You have taken -- had a great form.

We have had a solid week, but we knew that this was the business end

of the week. We needed a solid performance for the final. I know

you do not like interviews, but Gail Munro, we did not know about

her record because she had not played before, but what an

incredible week. They have had a great week, especially with gale

macro, it is good to see her You guys are now heading off to the

championships next month. You must be feeling confident. Yes, we will

try to play our best and hope Lee have another solid week out there

and see what happens. You have too many young players are there and

you said at the start of today that they have done exactly what they

had been told and they are brilliant. They were great in the

final. They were fantastic all week. Could not have asked for a better

end to the game, they gave 110 % and for that I am very grateful. We

can move forward. I hope that other people like myself, all of the

other players, will do the same that I did and did the younger ones

the opportunity to play at this level. We have had a great season,

but it is not over and everyone wishes to go to a world event in

Canada because it is unbelievable, especially in Alberta. We knew that

coming into the event and we played well. We need to keep practising

hard and to will the world event in November. Eve Muirhead's team,

world champions, European champions. Will they become world champions