Team Mouat were taken the full distance for the first time at the Le Gruyere AOL European Championships, but ultimately emerged triumphant once again, beating Denmark 9-8 to maintain their unbeaten record and stay clear at the top of the standings at the end of day four. 
The Scottish quartet of Bruce Mouat, Grant Hardie, Bobby Lammie and Hammy McMillan had controlled their five previous matches, but in spite of claiming last stone advantage at the opening end, they were challenged early on by the Danes who forced them to take singles at the first and third ends and registered a two at the second to effectively reverse the hammer at that stage.
After the Scots then forced their opponents at the fourth, twos were exchanged at the next three ends, but they were gradually applying the pressure and it finally told at the eighth end when, facing three Scottish counters, Danish skip Mikael Krause failed to get his stone into the house.
That put them 9-5 ahead, allowing them to manage the scoreboard in the closing two ends and they duly did so, running out 9-8 winners and their skip reckoned that being extended as they were could prove useful as they start to look towards the play-offs having all but ensured that they are through to the semi-finals.
“The game was pretty tough,” said Mouat.
“We didn’t necessarily play as well as we have been and we are viewing it that going the distance is a good thing for us as we are bound to have to do that later in the week now that we are getting closer to the end of the round robin and the play-offs.
“It is probably good to have that knowledge that we can still fight it out towards the end of the game.”
While they are pleased to have maintained the only 100 per cent record in either the men’s or women’s event, it is a measure of the standards they set themselves that they are still looking to be better.
“We played pretty well again, but we are missing the simpler shots that we hadn’t missed during the first five games,” said their skip.
“However, we are made of strong stuff and we know how to fight through games like that and we have been in these situations before, so it was good to have that and we are still feeling confident going in to our two games tomorrow.”
They face Switzerland and the Czech Republic tomorrow.
#curling #ECC2021
Scotland Team
Bruce Mouat
Grant Hardie
Bobby Lammie
Hammy McMillan
Ross Whyte (alternate)
PHOTO: WCF / STEVE SEIXEIRO 
Schedule and Results
Saturday 20 November
W Scotland v Russia 7-4
M Scotland v Sweden 6-2
W Scotland v Denmark 8-2
Sunday 21 November
M Scotland v Finland 6-2
W Scotland v Sweden 8-5
M Scotland v Italy 7-2
Monday 22 November
W Scotland v Germany 9-5
M Scotland v Netherlands 9-2
W Scotland v Estonia 10-3
M Scotland v Germany 10-5
Tuesday 23 November
W Scotland v Italy 7-8
M Scotland v Denmark 9-8
W Scotland v Czech Republic 6pm
Wednesday 24 November
M Scotland v Switzerland 8am
W Scotland v Switzerland 1pm
M Scotland v Czech Republic 6pm 
Thursday 25 November
W Scotland v Turkey 7am
M Scotland v Norway 11am
W Semi Final 2 v 3 3pm
W Semi Final 1 v 4 7pm
Friday 26 November
M Semi Final 2 v 3 8am
M Semi Final 1 v 4 12.30pm
W Bronze medal game 5pm
Saturday 27 November
M Bronze medal game 8am
W Gold medal game 11.30am
M Gold medal game 4pm
