Scotland target 'dream' gold at World Wheelchair Curling Championships

Team Scotland will go for gold at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships after seeing off defending champions Norway to reach the final in Stirling.

Aileen Neilson and her rink face Paralympic champions China (at 2.30pm) for the chance to top the podium in front of a home crowd after coming through their last-four clash 7-3.

And three-time Paralympian Neilson admitted it would be a dream come true if Team Scotland can get the better of China, who defeated Korea 5-2 in their semi-final.

The emotional Scottish skip said: “It’s just a dream come true to actually play in the final of our home championship and it’s been my dream to get a medal on home soil.

“We know we’ve got a medal now but there’s one colour I don’t have, and it would be my ultimate dream to get that.”

The Norwegians had opened the scoring against Scotland with one point after the first end but the home favourites responded with two points in the second end to surge ahead.

Norway’s skip Rune Lorentsen then attempted a nose-hit on a Scottish stone in the third end, but wrecked on a guard on the way in.

With the hosts having another stone at the back of the house, they stole a further two points for a 4-1 lead before Norway grabbed a point in the fourth end to cut the deficit at the break.

Scotland showed no signs of nerves, though, and Sochi 2014 bronze medallist Neilson put her stone through a narrow gap in the fifth end to hit out a Norwegian stone.

Lorentsen was heavy with his second draw of the sixth end and had to settle for one point, which was cancelled out by Neilson in the seventh end when her last stone nudged a guard and pushed her own stone into a scoring position.

Norway had a chance in the eighth end to score the three points they required to force an extra end, but Lorentsen again caught a guard – giving Scotland a steal of one and a 7-3 triumph.

Earlier in the day at The Peak venue, Scotland earned their place in the semi-finals by defeating Slovakia 7-6 after an extra end in their play-off match.