HEREFORDSHIRE archer Graham Simpson helped his Scottish team to victory at the annual longbow international meeting with Ireland.

The 70-year-old Eardisland-based international first represented Scotland in 1973 and contributed 81 hits towards his country's fifth consecutive triumph in the two-directional Celtic Meeting, as it is known.

Aberdeen-born Simpson achieved the fourth best individual score in the Scottish team and he hopes to retain his place in the squad for next year.

The popular annual archery event is between two teams of eight archers and comprises four dozen arrows shot at 60 yards, followed by four dozen at 50 yards.

Shot alternatively in Ireland and Scotland, the match is for the crystal Ailsa Trophy, and the Scotland team achieved their latest win by 652 hits to Ireland's 598.

Simpson made four appearances for his country while living in Scotland and has doubled his tally since moving to Herefordshire from Ayreshire in the 1970s.

The organisers of the Celtic Meeting had hoped that a Welsh team would take part in the competition for the first time this year, but a clash of dates prevented this from happening.

Simpson now hopes to see the introduction of a new, three-way competition taking place between each of the Celtic nations next season.