Bathurst '75 put nine past Dubbo Bulls in comprehensive Western Premier League win

Played as the first of a triple-header at Dubbo's Apex Oval, the royal blues were ruthless, up 4-0 after just 24 minutes, before taking that lead to the break.

Mark Comerford's men would pile on another five goals in the second half, to complete the comprehensive demolition and become the first team since the WPL reformation to score nine goals in a single match.

Comerford admitted he was expecting the result.

"We've been playing quite well lately and we've been finishing well too, bar the Parkes game where we had a lot of opportunities to score more than one goal," he said.

"Prior to that game [against Bulls] we had averaged a couple of goals a game.

"I mean [Bulls] defeated Dubbo Macquarie last game out and they were really impressive in the first game against us.

"We went up there a bit short on players but not on quality, so I went up there thinking we'd win but definitely not by that many goals."

James Christie would put four goals past the Bulls keeper, equalling the most goals scored by an individual in a match since the WPL's was reformed in 2020, while Jack Press scored a hat-trick in his second game for the club.

Christie is now the outright top goal scorer in the competition with eight.

Thomas Rooke scored a goal from a free kick, with Christie inches away from getting a touch and scoring a fifth.

"James got four goals and Jack got three and that was really down to really good teamwork," Comerford said.

"James' first goal was a great ball wide, the ball comes in and he makes the perfect run in.

"He finished a couple of headers that were from really good build-up play.

"Jack scored a couple of really good goals from some good balls into space and he made some good runs.

"The thing was that we put ourselves in good positions to give these guys the opportunity score.

"It was one of those games where, right from the start, we were going to be dominant but to finish up with that scoreline, it's pleasing but there's still things we need to probably be better at."

Bathurst '75's ninth and final goal summed up Dubbo Bulls day.

Josh Brown made a darting run in the 90th minute, put through Press, who looked to pass it back to Brown, but instead it found the helpless right leg of Bulls defender Tim McLachlan, who turned the ball into his own net.

Bulls' only goal came from a set piece in the 51^st minute.

A corner sent into the mixer wasn't dealt with, with neither '75 keeper Jack Hunter or his fellow defenders unable to deal with it, allowing Brody Austin to put it into the back of the net.

In other results, Panorama played out a nil-all draw with Orange Waratahs at Proctor Park, in what was a grand final rematch.

In the other two matches of the Dubbo triple-header, Macquarie United and Barnstoneworth United finished level at 2-all and Orana Spurs defeated Barnstoneworth United 4-3.

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