It was a game that didn’t seemingly want to go their way.

However, the Manitoba rink, skipped by Kamloops resident Matt Dunstone, is off to the 2023 Brier final, following a 7-5 win over the Wild Card rink of Brendan Bottcher.

The Dunstone rink, which was forced into the semi-final after a last-rock loss to Team Canada on Saturday, was able to shake off that disappointment, with solid play throughout the match.

After back-and-forth action through the first 7-ends, with both sides tied at 5, the Bottcher rink would squeeze out blanks in both the 8th and 9th ends, giving them the hammer headed home.

Dunstone wouldn’t crack under the pressure, making a critical draw to a portion of the button with his final stone of the 10th.

This forced Bottcher to attempt a draw, which came up well short, giving Dunstone and Team Manitoba their birth in the final, where they’ll take on Brad Gushue’s Team Canada rink, once again, for a shot at the national title.

Matt Dunstone and Team @curlmanitoba are a win away from a @TimHortons Brier title after their semifinal win on Sunday in London. Check out our report on @TeamMDunstone's win right here: https://t.co/yAMzg3pHiT pic.twitter.com/jV5G3iFp5k

— Curling Canada (@CurlingCanada) March 12, 2023

The final gets underway at 4pm this Sunday on TSN.