THE might of the division one Geelong Buccaneers was too great for the Ballarat Falcons to overcome, as they went down 56-6 in front of a Geelong home crowd in Corio on Saturday.<\/p>\n
As expected, Geelong controlled the game offensively with their run game, keeping the Falcons defence busy throughout the match.<\/p>\n
Despite the scoreboard, there were bright spots for the Falcons with defensive MVP Matthew Gat and line-backer Peter McKay applying pressure on the line and a second quarter field goal block keeping the score at 20-0.<\/p>\n
That same period saw more good play from the Falcons, hindering Geelong\u2019s passing game with pressure from the defensive backs culminating in an interception from safety Mark Hocking.<\/p>\n
Geelong maintained their composure though, running the ball for 90 yards and three touchdowns leaving a half-time score line of 41-0.<\/p>\n
Facing the tough matchup without key offensive players Duncan McIntosh and Andrew Pickersgill, the Falcons looked to their depth at running back to try maintain a competitive presence, with rookie Rhys McCormack pushing for yards on the ground.<\/p>\n
Despite finding himself having to run the ball himself on a number of plays, quarterback James Stephens was still able to connect with the everreliable wide receiver Eddie Carey to move down the field.<\/p>\n
For the Falcons though, the game was all about the defence.<\/p>\n
The defensive line, led by Dave Parker, applied a great deal of pressure in the second half, limiting Geelong to only 13 additional points for the game.<\/p>\n
Playing both offense and defence, Eddie Carey gave the Falcons their game highlight as he returned an interception for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n
It was no surprise that his efforts earned Carey the MVP for the match.<\/p>\n
The loss sees the Falcons drop to seventh position on the Gridiron Victoria ladder, slipping behind the Bendigo Dragons who jumped to sixth following a win against the lowly Pakenham Silverbacks.<\/p>\n
The Falcons face Pakenham in four weeks\u2019 time to finish the regular season, but face a trifecta of tough division one teams beforehand.<\/p>\n
A battle this Friday against a wounded South- Eastern Predators, fresh from a 42-0 loss against the Western Crusaders, will prove to be a pivotal game for the Falcons hopes of making the playoffs.<\/p>\n
BEST \u2013 Ballarat: Eddie Carey, James Stephens, Matthew Gat and Dave Parker.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THE might of the division one Geelong Buccaneers was too great for the Ballarat Falcons to overcome, as they went down 56-6 in front of a Geelong home crowd in Corio on Saturday. As expected, Geelong controlled the game offensively with their run game, keeping the Falcons defence busy throughout the match. Despite the scoreboard, […]<\/p>\n