A TRIO of talented Dunfermline Water Polo Club players are celebrating after they helped Scotland to victory at an Inter-Regional competition.

Harry Gray, Ruaridh Henderson and Rory Nesbitt were part of the Scottish Saltires under-18 boys' team – coached by Dunfermline senior men's team player, Alasdair Campbell – that took to the pool at the Swim England Inter-Regional Water Polo Championships Division Two at the weekend.

Held at Sheffield's Ponds Forge International Sports Centre, seven teams – five English regions, the Saltires and Wales – were drawn into one pool of four and one of three in a bid to play for the chance to compete in Division One next year.

The Saltires were up against South West and East Midlands in Group C and, although South West defeated them 7-6, a 6-5 win over East Midlands was enough to secure second spot and a semi-final with Group B winners South East.

A 5-3 victory then paved the way for a rematch with South West in the final and, with the Dunfermline players enjoying a prominent role, clinched an 11-8 success to win the championship.

Gray, who scored 14 of Scotland's 29 goals, finished as the division's top scorer and was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the final, with a delighted Campbell commenting: "It's brilliant for the guys.

"Harry scored just under 50 per cent of Scotland's goals and was really good. Rory's more of a defensive player but he was brilliant; in the semi-final, the other team had one player who was really good, but we put Rory on him and he didn't score.

"Ruaridh was one of the younger players in the team but he contributed really well and it's a good experience for him.

"It was really good that they won something and, personally, I'm pleased. You can tell them what to do all you want but they need to do it in the water.

"In the final, we made up a plan but it's up to the players to go and do it. There was only one goal in it until the last few minutes, but they didn't panic or lose control."

Meanwhile, Catriona Aitchison and Erin Atherton were involved with the girls' squad for their competition, held the previous weekend, with the former awarded Scotland's MVP, while Niamh Moloney – who was last year voted as Scotland's Junior Player of the Year – was named as the East District's Junior Player of the Year.