The injury-hit Keech Australia Fighting Miners finished the season on a low note when they lost 44-7 to minor premier Eltham in last Saturday’s final round of Victorian rugby.
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The Miners looked to be in with a chance when they trailed by only three points with three minutes remaining in the first half, but they conceded two tries in the final three minutes to go to the break trailing 22-7.
The second half was a repeat of the first half, with the Miners defending stoutly until the final five minutes when the floodgates opened with Eltham scoring three tries.
The Miners went into the match without four of their five Victorian Country representatives, but put in a brave performance against a team which has lost only one game this season.
A lack of discipline, especially at the breakdown, cost the Bendigo side dearly.
In addition to a lopsided penalty count, two Miners’ players were sin-binned in the first half.
They survived the first yellow card with only seven points of damage, but during the second period they conceded 19 points.
Bendigo finished the season in sixth place on the competition ladder with a 5-9 win-loss record.
After a slow start, losing at home to Ballarat and being thrashed by Geelong on the road, the Miners improved and became competitive for the remainder of the season, beating three of the five teams above them on the ladder.
Final ladder for Victorian Rugby division two: Eltham 64, Kiwi Hawthorn 58, Geelong 51, Melton 40, Shepparton 30, Bendigo 28, Ballarat 15, Maroondah 11.
The Fighting Miners’ next appearance will be in the Goldfields 7s tournament which will be held at the Epsom-Huntly Reserve on the October 21-22 weekend.
