A double from forward Angus Cusack helped the Dubbo and District Football Association's men's side overcome a more established Bathurst in the Inter-town Challenge at the weekend.
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More than half (14) of Bathurst's 23-man squad hailed from club team the Panorama Goats.
By contrast the Dubbo side included no more than five players from any one club (Macquarie United and Orana Spurs), and saw a total of six clubs represented (RSL, Dubbo FC, South Dubbo Wanderers and Newtown).
But coach Alan Auld was proud to see his men combine for a 4-3 win over a relatively unknown opposition.
"I think both teams were a bit wary of each other … just in that first 10, 15 minutes we were just trying to work each other out," Auld said.
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"I thought the scoreline kind of flattered them a bit; we had a lot of chances we didn't really take but I believe we outplayed them football wise.
"I was very impressed with the squad. We only had a short preparation and they gelled well."
Jesse Spang opened the visitors' account in the 15th minute and Cusack doubled the advantage just before half-time.
Bathurst got themselves back in the contest through a counter-attack, before Cusack capitalised on a goal-keeper error to restore the two-point lead.
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Bathurst's set pieces tested Dubbo's defence, but the hosts were never able to draw closer than a goal down.
Connor Crain made it 4-2 with 15 minutes left on the clock but Bathurst struck back quickly to make it 4-3.
Auld said the "guys panicked at times", with Bathurst able to take advantage of some lapses in concentration.
But with Auld implementing his preferred strategy of playing out from the back - instead of long clearances - he was pleased with how his back line adapted.
"I'm pretty sure everyone got something out of it and learned something new."
He named mid-fielders Crain, Glen Schein and Kobe Rapley as the stand-outs on the night, but also heaped praise on defender Connor McDonald and "dangerous" front men Spang and Cusack.
Bathurst coach Brent Osborne said he couldn't have been happier with his team's performance.
"We had a mix preparation with our performances in trials, but on Saturday we started well but we let in two cheap goals," he said.
"We managed to pull it back to 2−1, but than Dubbo went to 3−1, then it was 3−2 then 4−2 and then 4−3. Jarrah Hale and Felix Croshaw both got a goal each for us."
"The boys played out of their skin and it definitely didn't feel like a loss. I was really proud of their performance."
The game was followed by talks between the two sides about more inter-town fixtures, with hopes for a "tri-series" - including Orange - at Dubbo on the June long weekend.
"For me, they're playing against the best players in the western region," Auld said of the value of representative matches.
"We're actually playing against different clubs, from different towns and not only that but they're getting coached by a different coach, they're playing with different players from different clubs so there's already friendships that have been built between players from different clubs.
"Everyone's really keen for it so it is the start of something big."
The victory completed the Dubbo double, after the women handed their hosts an 11-1 thumping.