“Some people think it’s a dead rubber but it’s hardly that.”
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Dubbo College has the chance to salvage pride and score a first Astley Cup tie win since claiming the prized piece of silverware back in 2011 after tremendous performances against Orange High on Wednesday.
Bathurst High’s wins over Dubbo and Orange in the past two weeks saw it crowned champions but there was still plenty to play for in the final tie of the 2018 series.
Orange took out tennis and there was a draw in the girls’ football sees Dubbo hold a strong 241-149 overall lead.
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“There’s a lot of pride on the line,” Dubbo Astley Cup coordinator Craig May said.
“As you can see with the girls’ hockey this is fabulous … this is a lot of reward for kids who have worked hard for a number of years.
“But full credit to Orange, look at the way they display themselves when they lose. It’s great sportsmanship and that’s what it’s all about.”
While Dubbo is well-placed, Orange is relying on its band of travelling supporters to help them claw their way back and score a stunning win on Thursday.
The win in the tennis brought the fans in black and gold to the fore on Wednesday and the Orange school’s traditional ‘barmy army’ chant could be heard loud and clear during the football matches at Hans Claven.
However, the draw in girls’ football was followed by the heavy defeat in the boys’ football.
Orange was tipped by many to make up ground in the hockey, however a stellar Dubbo performance saw the Hornets suffer a 3-1 loss.
“There was mixed result and we knew Dubbo’s soccer would be very strong,” Orange’s Astley Cup coordinator Tegan Dray said.
“We had some good results in the tennis and we know Dubbo has been improving in hockey so that’s an absolute credit to them, they played really well and have given a big task tomorrow.
“But you never know until the day and we’ve got some good opportunities tomorrow to make up the points with our supporters behind us.”
Friday’s play starts with athletics at 9.30am, followed by basketball and netball at 11.45am and 1pm respectively while the Astley Cup for 2018 comes to an end with the rugby league at Apex Oval at 2.15pm.