Miners coach Mel Martin gives the offensive line a spray during the first half. 50480 Picture Gavin Staindl
By Gavin Staindl
LACK of discipline has been cited as the key to the Berwick Miners 20-0 loss to the Rangers at Sydney Pargeter Reserve on the weekend.
Fouls, outbursts and lack of concentration culminated in an offen-sive effort that could not salvage a single first down until the third quarter and a defence that allowed 20 points in the first half.
Experienced safety and punter Steve Baker was ordered by coach Mel Martin to sit out the remainder of the first half after he reacted savagely to a late hit by a Rangers opponent early in the second quarter.
In the same quarter the defence gave up approximately 50 yards in a single drive all resulting from various fouls.
The running game fared no better as the offence line crumbled under the pressure placed on it by the Rangers line of scrimmage.
“We played like a rabble and I told that to them at half time in no uncertain terms,” Martin said.
“We touched the ball once in the first quarter and they scored on their opening three drives.
“I spoke at training last week how we can’t be one dimensional and we need to develop our running game but our running back got tackled in the backfield for a loss of three or four yards because our left and right tackles were left standing there,” Martin said.
As the Rangers brought numbers to the line of scrimmage, the small and inexperienced Miners offensive line found it difficult to contain the pressure and as a result the running back was used more as a pass protector rather than an attacking runner.
“I’m not asking our guys to overpower teams but we need to establish the run and we can’t keep getting tackled in our back half,” Martin said.
The Miners had chances in the red zone in the last quarter to peg the score back but with only seven first downs to their name, the chances of generating a comeback were severely hampered.
