Kyle Smith's team beat Finland in their first game at the World Junior Curling Championships in Oestersund this afternoon. Leslie Ingram-Brown reports from Sweden:"For Scotland's Kyle Smith, Thomas Muirhead, Kyle Waddell and Kerr Drummond the game against Finland's Iiro Sipola was simple and clinical, and they forced Sipola to concede after only eight ends.
Finland was forced to take a single in the first. Smith claimed his two in the second with Sipola levelling the score in the third. But a draw for a pair in the fourth saw Scotland's boys off and running. A steal of a single and another pair and Smith & Co were in the home straight.
Finland blanked the seventh, drew a single in the eighth and that was that. After the game Smith was more than happy with the way the team had played and was pleased that for everyone playing in their first Worlds the win had been achieved in such a workmanlike manner."
SCORES: USA 9 Italy 2; Switzerland 9 Czech Republic 4; Sweden 9 Norway 2; Canada 8 China 4; Scotland 7 Finland 3.
The linescores and standings are here.
Photo © Leslie Ingram-Brown. Kyle Smith delivers, with Kyle Waddell and Kerr Drummond the sweepers.
