Hammy McMillan believes Team GB’s near-miraculous curling comeback proves they have the fire to compete for Olympic Winter Games gold in Milano Cortina.
The men’s curling squad were beaten 9-7 by Italy in their third round-robin match but almost staged an incredible recovery after losing the first end 4-0.
With the final stone and lying one, skip Bruce Mouat played an aggressive shot in a bid to score two points but an unlucky kiss of his own stone left Italy lying four.
They outscored Italy for the rest of the match but the gap was too to bridge. The result leaves the quartet with two wins and one defeat from their three matches so far and McMillan is adamant they remain on the right path.
“I think it was nine good ends and seven good stones,” he said.
“We were very unfortunate the way Bruce had ended up in that first end, the way they scattered and left them lying four.
“We probably couldn't do that again if we tried. But no, we showed really good resolve to come back and take it to the 10th end there.
“We fought back hard and it just shows what character we have as a team. It was very easy for your heads to get down and lose control of the game really quickly.
“We swapped a couple of ones early on, but then we got a steal, we forced one, got two.
“The scoreboard was about 5-4 at halftime, so we really brought that one back. But unfortunately, the last five ends we just couldn't get over the finish line.”
After the opening end, it was an uphill task for Mouat’s team but they are experienced campaigners and settled into an improbable comeback attempt.
With a raucous home crowd against them, they rebounded as Mouat delivered a superb stone to score two points in the fourth, and then again in the fifth.
Italy were efficient with the hammer and regularly scored singles, while another Team GB double in the eighth end closed the gap to a point.
Italy had the hammer in the ninth end but Team GB managed to steal one to draw level, but the hosts had the last stone of the match in the final end and made it count to win by two.
“We are happy with the way we're playing. It's would have been nice to get that win and stay unbeaten, but I think 2-1 still is in a good spot,” added Bobby Lammie.
“There was plenty more time to come and it's too easy or too early to decide what's going to happen yet, but we'll just try and keep plugging away.
“We have lots of family and friends here, and I think there's still even more to come, so it's going to get pretty loud and pretty cool in there. We are looking forward to it.”