Scottish skip McMillan claims to be peaking when it matters at Euro Curling

By Sportsbeat staff

SCOTTISH skip Hammy McMillan kept alive his hopes of a play-off place with victories over Denmark and the Netherlands at the European Curling Championships in Champery.

McMillan's rink were confident 6-2 winners over their Dutch rivals and were equally convincing in a 5-2 victory over Danish skip Rasmus Stjerne.

Germany and Switzerland lead the rankings with six wins from seven matches. Denmark and Norway are just behind with five victories and Scotland and Sweden are deadlocked with the same won four, lost three record ahead of the final two rounds of preliminary matches.

However, Scotland's results means they have assured their qualification for next year's World Championships, ahead of their concluding group matches with France and Sweden.

"Hopefully we've got some momentum now after a slow start," said McMillan.

"We are in there fighting with two games to go. We never panicked and we know that if we win our next two games then we are in the play-offs.

"I've only come here for one thing and I'm upbeat about our chances and my team is prepared to dig in deep.  Hopefully we'll come out with the right result."

Scotland's women - skipped by world silver medallist Eve Muirhead - are all but guaranteed progression following a 6-5 win over highly-fancied Sweden.

They now face Russia - the only other team with a played seven, won six record - before concluding their group matches against the winless Dutch.

"Everything is going well and you have to be playing good to beat Sweden," said Muirhead. 

"Russia is going to be a big game. They are playing very well but so are we."