Mackenzie claims Allangrange Trophy
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The linked efforts of the Invergordon and Locheye Curling Clubs won the final of the Ross-shire Province Allangrange Trophy played last Wednesday night in the Inverness Ice rink beating holders Belmaduthy in a close final.
The trophy was presented to the province in 1968 by Major Alan Cameron of Allangrange, with Alistair George of Caberfeidh winning for the first three years and the donor himself winning it in 1971.
Although Invergordon skip Alan MacLennan had won the trophy five times for his Invergordon club in the early-2000s, last week became only the second time a Locheye curler has skipped a winning rink.
Richard Mackenzie, current leader of the Province A League championship, led his team on to the ice to face Peter Fraser’s Belmaduthy.
In the first end when all eight curlers were finding their drawing weight, it was Iain Chisholm’s last-draw stone that rolled out of the house for MacKenzie to steal an opening single.
The second end was a hitting end, and Belmaduthy came out on top with two stones counting before a steal in the next end to surge 3-1 in front when MacKenzie was light with his final draw.
The next two ends were crucial in the final outcome.
MacKenzie took two shots in the fourth then stole two more in the fifth after a split house when Chisholm missed his last stone take-out.
It was back to a full hose of stones in the sixth end, with Belmaduthy sitting on the pot lid but surrounded by Invergordon /Locheye guarding stones and no way in for Chisholm to score two, so he had to settle for a single and go into the final end one shot behind but without last stone.
As the clock was running down in the final end any Belmaduthy stones were removed by the third and fourth deliveries until Locheye’s MacKenzie edged out Chisholm’s last lying stone to blank the end and win the game and claim the quaich with a final score of 5-4.
