Scotland record dramatic World Wheelchair Curling Championships triumph

Team Scotland dramatically picked up their first victory of the week as they defeated Germany in an extra end at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships.

Competing on home ice at The Peak in Stirling, Aileen Neilson’s rink bounced back from two narrow defeats to edge to a 9-7 triumph.

Germany – who had also lost their opening two contests – surged into a 3-1 lead after stealing two in the fourth end but Scotland responded in style with a precise hit in the fifth to take three points and a 4-3 advantage.

Another three for Neilson and co in the seventh put the hosts in control at 7-4 but Germany took advantage of a few Scottish mistakes in the eighth end to level the score at 7-7.

That sent the match into an extra end, where the Scots made the most of having the hammer to chalk up a match-winning two points and secure an all-important first victory.

That was the perfect riposte to a heart-breaking 8-7 defeat to Latvia in the afternoon session, where Neilson’s rink trailed 8-2 through five ends before roaring back, only to fall a single point short when they stole just one in the final end.

Team Scotland will now look to build momentum with two more matches on Tuesday as they take on undefeated Norway in the morning session before squaring off against Korea in the afternoon.

A pair of victories would improve their record to three wins and two losses and put them back on track to reach the knockout stages – with the top six in the 12-team round robin qualifying.

Photo: WCF / Richard Gray