Lymphoy Cup Round 3.2 Results

The third round was finished off on Friday last and both Shona Watt and Bob Barr kept their hopes very much alive with two great wins over Jenny Barr and Susan Kesley respectively.  Here is the results table with their two games highlighted in fetching shades of viridescent and caerulean (or green and blue to you and me).

Team	1			2			3			4			5			6			7			8
	F	A	E	F	A	E	F	A	E	F	A	E	F	A	E	F	A	E	F	A	E	F	A	E
J Steven				5	4	3	4	12	2	9	1	6	4	9	3
R Copland	4	5	4				8	5	3	12	3	4				14	4	6
B Fleming	12	4	6	5	8	4				4	8	2							6	8	4
A Galloway	1	9	1	3	12	3	8	4	5													5	10	3
J Barr	9	4	4													7	8	3	3	8	3	3	10	2
S Kesley				4	14	1							8	7	4				2	9	2	1	10	1
B Barr							8	6	3				8	3	4	9	2	5				3	8	2
S Watt										10	5	4	10	3	5	10	1	5	8	3	5

Of much more interest to regular readers is the "state of the nation" assessment and predictions that have become such a regular feature of these, typically, weekly postings.

The only team in whose hands sits its own fate is Shona's strong line up of Andrew Barr, Caitlin Penny and Sheena Munro.  For them it is simple; win all your games.  Shona plays Robin Copland on the 23rd February, John Steven on 2nd March and finally, Brian Fleming on 16th March, when all eight teams are out on the ice and when all could still be up for grabs.

Now, let's look down the table at the other contenders.

Position	Team	Played	Ends	Shots u/(d)	Shots scored	Points
1	S Watt	4	19	26	38	8
2	R Copland	4	17	21	38	6
3	B Barr	4	14	9	28	6
4	J Steven	4	14	-4	22	4
5	B Fleming	4	16	-1	27	2
6	J Barr	4	12	-8	22	2
7	A Galloway	4	12	-18	17	2
8	S Kesley	4	8	-25	15	2

Robin, Betty Gibb, Josh Kellock and Susan MacFarlane are also in a strong position - especially if they manage to win their encounter with Shona on the 23rd.  Robin goes on to play Bob Barr on 2nd March and finishes his campaign against Jenny Barr in the 16th March shoot-out.  Win all three and he damages both his nearest rivals, Shona and Bob, though Shona could still sneak the Lymphoy in that event if she wins her other two games and keeps her ends total above his.

Bob Barr is also in a strong position.  He, John Penny, Karen Munro and Graeme Maguire play John Steven on 23rd February, Robin Copland on 2nd March and Andrew Galloway on 16th March.  Crucially for him, he is relying on Robin to do the business for him on 23rd February (or indeed Brian or John in the later rounds), for that would bring Shona back into the pack with one loss.

Tucked in behind those three sits John Steven alone on four points.  John, Andrew Cargill/ Kerry Clark, Raymond Preston and Pauline Alexander have two crucial games - against Bob on 23rd February and Shona on 2nd March.  If they win those two games, they put themselves in with a great shout for silverware - if not the Lymphoy cup itself, then certainly the Glenbrook Quaich. 

Intriguingly, the other four teams are tied on two points each.  Any one of them could leap from the pack by winning their remaining three games and moving to eight points.  It will be clearer after the games on 16th February when, unbelievably, they all play each other.  You really could not have made it up.  I'll say this; there's a flock of flying geese for the losers of those games - indeed the same geese will still be quacking if there's a drawn match.  It will all become clearer still by the close of play on 23rd February because, by then, the top four will also have played each other.

All to play for!