A perfectly executed seventh end powerplay saw Scotland register a four when it mattered most to complete a comeback win over Spain that kept their World Wheelchair Championship bid alive and also maintain hopes that Great Britain will be represented in the discipline when it makes its Paralympic debut in Italy next year.
Charlotte McKenna and Hugh Nibloe had gone into the event on home ice in the Auchenharvie Leisure Centre in Stevenston, knowing they had a difficult job to do if they were to get ParalynmpicsGB to Milan-Cortina in mixed doubles, as well as the team event where their place was secured by Scotland last week.
With only seven teams joining hosts Italy, they set out a point behind Japan and Estonia in the qualifying table, knowing they had to out-perform both at this event.
With all three still in the mix for play-off places, everything was consequently at stake as McKenna and Nibloe went into their final round-robin match knowing they needed to win to reach the quarter-finals.
It was hardly a shock that it looked as if the tension might be taking its toll as they struggled in the early stages and they were in serious danger of being eliminated when they reached the midway break 5-2 down after those first four ends. 
A three at the fifth revived their hopes, however and after they held Spain to just one when they had the hammer at the next, the decision to take the powerplay proved crucial as the Scots dominated the end to take that four, which allowed them to rely on solid defensive play at the end in running out 9-6 winners.
“It was a good win in the end,” said Nibloe, who has faced a punishing and highly pressurised schedule, having also skipped Scotland through the team event.
“At 5-2 down at half-time, we sat down to talk about it and our coaches Sheila (Swan) and Niall (Ryder) were really calm about it and reminded us that it was just about backing ourselves and backing our process.
“After the break we came out, made our shots, put Spain under pressure, made them try to make some big shots and they didn’t.
“Getting that big end in the powerplay was absolutely key and it was just a case of getting rid of yellow stones in that last end to see it out.”
Nibloe reckoned that the way he and McKenna have performed in their last two matches in particular, having also beaten already Paralympics-bound Slovakia in their penultimate match, has now set the Scottish pair up for the demands of the knockout stages.
“It was a case of really believing in ourselves, that we were good enough to go and make the shots we needed to,” he said
“I think we maybe looked a wee bit edgy in the first half, especially me.
“I think Charlotte was good throughout, but I had a couple of shots that I should have made and didn’t.
“However, in the second half I managed to up my game and get up to Charlotte’s level and thankfully she stayed at that level and we managed to see it through.
“We’ve now just got to try to do it from the start tomorrow and we’re taking a lot of confidence into the quarter-final, because we know every single game’s winnable.”
Scotland now face Czechia, knowing that they must at least match the performances of Japan and Estonia, who meet Canada and Norway in the quarter-finals, if they are to secure that Paralympic place for Great Britain.
“Czechia are a really good team and will be a huge challenge for us, probably a step up from where we’ve been this week,” Nibloe acknowledged.
“However, we believe in ourselves and we want to come out firing and try to get that win that would get us into a medal game on Sunday.
“It’s a new competition and we’re looking forward to it, so we go home tonight to get as much rest as we can and then come back tomorrow ready to go again.”
British Curling colleagues England meanwhile put in two more valiant performance on the final day of round-robin play, Karen Aspey and Stewart Pimblett rallying from 7-2 down to Hungary with three ends to play to win that match 8-7, before coming close to ending Korea’s unbeaten record in going down 11-10 to finish with a record of three wins and three losses, in 12th place overall among the 21 competing nations.
World Curling Mixed Doubles Championships (March 11-16)
Day One -Tuesday 11 March
Session 2
Scotland – England 11-4
Session 4
Scotland – Turkiye 9-2
Day Two – Wednesday 12 March
Session 5
England – Slovakia 4-10
Session 7 – 16.30
England – Turkiye 9-5
Session 8
Scotland – Korea 5-10
Day Three – Thursday 13 March
Session 10
Scotland – Hungary 4-8
Session 12
Scotland – Slovakia 6-3
England – ESP 10-3
Day Four – Friday 14 March
Session 13
England – Hungary 8-7
Session 16
England – Korea 10-11
Scotland – ESP 9-6
Day Five – Saturday 15 March
Quarter Finals – 10.00
Semi Finals – 17.00
Day Six – Sunday 16 March
Bronze medal match – 10.00
Gold medal match – 16.00
Please click here for results.
Watch LIVE streamed games on Curling Stadium Europe and The Curling Channel
Scotland Mixed Doubles Team
Hugh Nibloe (skip)
Charlotte McKenna
Coaches:
Head Coach: Sheila Swan
Team Coach: Niall Ryder
England Mixed Doubles Team
Stewart Pimblett (skip)
Karen Aspey
Coaches:
Head Coach: Tony Lenton
Coach: Rosemary Lenton
For more information on our Paralympic Pathway Programme and opportunities please email: Cheryl.lappin@britishcurling.org.uk
Images: world curling
