who beat Norway in their opener on Wednesday<\/a> – were kept honest by the Estonian debutants, but their class ultimately told in the latter stages to force an early end to the contest and a 10-5 triumph.<\/p>\nAnd it was similar against the Czechs, albeit it was their opponents mistakes, as much as their own shots, that made the difference.<\/p>\n
The Czechs ceded the hammer, but reacted well to take a point in the first end. Their ambitious claims for two were only halted by the verdict of the measuring stick.<\/p>\n
After that strong start, their callowness showed in the second end, a poor throw by Julie Zelingrova gifting Dodds a chance for three, which she took ruthlessly.<\/p>\n
The Czechs cut their arrears to one in the third but the Dodds – who has been in magnificent form so far – restored the three-point gap at the break.<\/p>\n
On another day, that might have been decisive, but the Czechs were proving obdurate opposition and – with Mouat a little off his peerless best – the underdogs hauled themselves level.<\/p>\n
Dodds delivered again with another two in the sixth before the end that effectively decided the contest. Zelingrova had a throw to thrust the Czechs ahead, but was heavy-handed and instead gifted GB an almost unassailable three-point lead.<\/p>\n
Almost unassailable because a rare Dodds mistake offered an opening, but Zelingrova rushed her final thow and could only take two.<\/p>\n
That left them agonisingly short but put GB another step closer to exorcising the memories of 2002, when a wretched last-four defeat left them outside the medals.<\/p>\n
“We’re exactly where we wanted to be at this stage but we’ve got some tough games in which I need to help Jen out a bit by performing better,” Mouat told BBC Sport. <\/p>\n
“I can’t blame the ice – it’s manageable – but I’ve just not figured it out yet.” <\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
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