BENDIGO Pioneers coach Brett Henderson says his side “raised the white flag” as country rivals North Ballarat ran riot in the third quarter of Sunday’s TAC Cup clash.
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After a tight, competitive opening half in which scores were locked 3.6 apiece at the main break, what followed was all one-way traffic as the Rebels obliterated the Pioneers in the second half in winning 19.12 (126) to 8.8 (56) at Eureka Stadium in a game where both sides had gone in with one win apiece.
The Pioneers failed to fire a shot in the third quarter when the Rebels slammed on 10.5 to 1.0.
“It was a bitterly disappointing result… to play the first half the way that we did and to then turn up our toes and raise the white flag in the third quarter wasn’t acceptable,” Henderson said.
“It comes down to mental application, being more resilient when things aren’t going your way and battening down the hatches a bit.
“Unfortunately, we just accepted it too easily in the third quarter and there’s no shying away from the fact that we need to find a way to get better. We’re making good steps as an organisation, but we’ve got to start finding a way to getting some decent results on the field.”
Laine Fitzgerald and Josh Formosa competed hard for the Pioneers to be their two best players.
The Pioneers take on the Eastern Ranges at Kyabram next Saturday.
