A free kick from just inside the penalty area to Harriet Shuttleworth was perfectly struck off the boot, sailing over Dubbo keeper Mackenzie Shultz' head to put her side 1-0 up in the crucial football clash in the dead-rubber tie at Orange High School.

She nearly did it again, too - with a shot on target from the same position knocked away by Shutlz with 10 minutes to go in the game, but in the end that blistering free kick was the only score, coming a few minutes after the second half began.

The resultant Astley Cup point split was 67-33 Orange's way.

The game went back and forward in the first half with the game to-ing and fro-ing from end to end as each side managed to break through the midfield, but neither able to make a significant shot on goal, with both keepers mopping up with aplomb.

However, in the second half Orange managed to lock the ball in their attacking half, with only a few Dubbo runs down the wing giving them hope at a shot on goal, while the hosts masterfully cut off most of their foe's forays forward.

Orange High School coach Kyle Nonnenmacher said it was the perfect send-off for year 12 students Lucy Johnston, Olivia Maksymczuk and Taylah Fanning.

"A couple of senior girls were playing their last game so it was good to get the win for them and send them off on a positive note and nice to win an Astley Cup game," he said.

"They played as a team and were commited, they wanted to win for the girls going out so they won those 50-50 balls and having that drive and commitment for each other was really good I feel."

He said Shuttleworth's goal was a "cracker".

"It was a great goal, you're not going to see one better than that in an Astley Cup game," he said.

He thanked Dubbo for the match, and said his young side were - hopefully - building to a position of dominance over the next few years.

"Going forward OHS is going to be very strong in football, both boys and girls," he said.

Dubbo captain Tatum Roberts praised her side's performance but said the visitors "lost a bit of structure in the middle".

"We brought our A game," she said.

"I feel like we talked a lot, we had a chat at half time which sparked us up a bit and we went out there together but that's how it goes."

She lauded the game of Tilly Irvine, who combined Julie Goodridge down the left wing for the closest Dubbo got to finding the back of the net, while Emma Duffy also stood tall in defence and Shultz in goals was also a big factor in the match.

However, she said the atmosphere - with a large show of support from Orange students past and present, was fantastic.

"Everyone's here with us all, we're one big happy family," Roberts said.