It was only a couple of weeks ago Dubbo knocked Bathurst out of the running in NSW Combined High Schools (CHS) competition but on Thursday at Pioneer Park it was a different story.

After defeat in the day's first event, tennis, the Bathurst school needed a result in the hockey and got it as a Samantha Brown hat-trick led the visitors to a 4-2 victory.

Ellie Purtell was outstanding, as expected, for a gallant Dubbo side but two late strikes from Brown proved the difference.

"We've really been working hard since our last match with Dubbo where they took the win," Bathurst teacher and coach Daisy Morrissey said.

"We've been working on the game plan and we had a few inexperienced girls we've really gathered up and developed and we were able to work as such a strong unit today and get the win.

'We were the underdogs coming in and it's always good to win as the underdog."

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As disappointed as Morrissey's Dubbo counterpart, Emma Corcoran, was she couldn't have been more proud of her players.

While Purtell was a standout and has represented her state previously, a number of her Dubbo teammates had barely played hockey before this year's Astley Cup.

Lexi Pilcher was one of those and she was one of Dubbo's best on Thursday while Emily Goedee got through plenty of work on the wing and Ella Murray marshalled the defence.

"It's very disappointing but the girls were outstanding," Corcoran said.

"There's a few girls who this morning we were teaching how to hold the stick but it's all about coming together and it was great to have a competitive ands fair game of hockey.

"They fought to the very end even though we were down and tried their hardest so I'm very proud of them."

Dubbo was on the back foot early as Brown fired the visitors ahead from a short corner on six minutes.

Bathurst's pace was a worry for Dubbo at times but the defence held firm and it remained 1-0 at the break.

Just five minutes into the second stanza things were level as Purtell hammered home an unstoppable shot from the top of the circle following a short corner for the hosts.

Both sides had chances during the second half but the more the game went on the more possession Bathurst had.

Eventually the pressure paid as Olivia McCauley fired home to put the Bathurst fans in full voice again.

The final five minutes were action packed as firstly Brown scored a second to make it a commanding 3-1 lead, only for Purtell to answer right back almost immediately to give Dubbo some hope of snatching a draw.

But inside the final two minutes, following successive short corners, Brown skipped past opposite star player Purtell and fired into the bottom corner to seal the win for her side.

"They made us play a better game because they pushed us so hard," Morrissey said of the Dubbo side, before praising the performance of hat-trick hero Brown.

"She plays a lot of hockey, Western Region and for her local club in Premier League. She has a lot of experience and the other girls linked up with her so well.

"She's such a team player and a nice level-head who we're lucky to have in our team."

Corcoran also took time to praise her star player, Purtell.

"She's a great leader," Corcoran said.

"She's amazing and she's our impact player. She can make things happen and she's just taken on a leadership role and has helped all the other girls who don't have as much experience.

"She's been absolutely outstanding."