FOR once, the trademark celebration never materialised. Alex ‘Tattie’ Marshall experienced a sensation he hadn’t felt for 16 years. Commonwealth Games defeat.

Playing alongside the vastly experienced Paul Foster as they defended their pairs title from Glasgow again an inspired Daniel Salmon and Mark Watt of Wales, Marshall was a matter of inches of making history as the first Scot to win five Commonwealth Games gold medals. But even in defeat, he was equally sure it was only a matter of time before he did so.

The chance for Tattie to become the all-time big potato of Scotland’s Commonwealth Games team may yet come before the week is out. Marshall and Foster, after all, had joined forces with two members of Sunday’s victorious triples team, Derek Oliver and Ronnie Duncan, in the fours before the day was out, recording an resounding 25-9 triumph in their opening group stage match against Brunei Daressalam of another event where they are reigning champions. But even if not, further chances will surely await in Birmingham in four years’ time. Tattie, you will be pleased to hear, is going nowhere.

“Getting that fifth gold medal would mean a lot, of course it would,” said Marshall. “But that’s my first defeat in the Commonwealth Games since 2002. It’s a bit disappointing that way, but I wasn’t thinking that at the start of the match. Of course, I think about that record, but it’s not going to bother me. I’ve got another opportunity in the fours, and if it doesn’t happen then, I’m sure it will happen in 2022. I’m not going to stop. Four years is a long way away, you don’t know what your health’s going to be like. But if things go to plan, I’ll be in Birmingham. I’ll never give up, I’m a fierce competitor and there’s a lot of youngsters coming behind us.”

As unpleasant a novelty factor as defeat was for the 51-year-old, it should not be forgotten that this is another Commonwealth silver medal in the books, Marshall’s fifth and Foster’s fourth in all. And there was no disgrace at all in going down 12-10 here. Under the baking hot morning Queensland sun, there appeared to be no stopping the Scottish pairing as they raced into a 5-0 lead in the first two ends, but the Welsh found some momentum and after the 13th end it was the Scots who were 10-6 in arrears. It was then that Marshall’s survival instincts kicked in, the Scots chipping away and chipping away, right down to the very last shot of the match, but this match was done when Marshall couldn’t disturb the jack with the Welsh pair lying shot.

The silver medal, combined with a second bronze medal of the games for gymnast Frank Baines, moves Scotland onto 25 medals altogether, just five short of their stated pre-games target of 30 medals. With Duncan Scott, who already has five medals to his name, back in action on Tuesday and Katie Archibald going in the time trial, that figure could go within the next 24 hours. On the track, Eilish McColgan and Steph Twell marched into the finals of the 1500m, but not before a dramatic few races saw McColgan - a maths graduate - get her arithmetic wrong while Twell benefited from the fall of Winnie Chebet, one of the pre-race favourites.

“I thought I was fourth,” said McColgan. “I don’t know in what world I thought I was fourth – but I just crossed the line and thought I’d done it. I can’t explain it - it’s just a complete mind blank, it wasn’t until I looked up on the screen that I saw the number five next to my name. I couldn’t figure out how I’d miscalculated. I’ve never done that in my life. Honestly, it’s the weirdest thing. And I did maths at university! So I should be able to work out where I am!"