PENSHURST coach Grant Ewing says undisciplined acts cost his side direct passage to the Mininera District league grand final.
The Bombers suffered their first loss of the season, 15.10 (100) to 15.7 (97), to powerhouse Tatyoon in the second semi-final at Hawkesdale.
They trailed by 23 points at half-time but kicked 11 goals to eight in the second half as a gutsy comeback fell three points short.
Ewing would not gloss over the defeat yesterday, saying it was the wake-up call Penshurst deserved considering its display.
He said three 50-metre penalties in the last quarter two of which directly led to goals undid his side's efforts to get back into the contest.
"To give away three 50-metre penalties in the last quarter, that puzzled me a bit," he said.
"Because I thought the players were being really good, discipline-wise, this year.
"I don't know if the pressure got to us or not.
"We have to look at why our players, who have been disciplined all year, gave away three 50-metre penalties."
The straight-talking coach gave a frank assessment of the match, saying more negatives than positives emerged.
"You've got to remain positive, but that's all good to say," he said.
"We've got a cut-throat preliminary final and we have to work extremely hard to get another crack at it. We didn't get a lot of things right on Saturday, and we have to work hard to get over Hawkesdale-Macarthur."
Ewing kicked five goals, but the veteran coach gave best-afield honours to runners Taylor McKenry and Luke Ferguson.
Ross Panther and Aidan Bell kicked four goals each for Tatyoon, which had Arthur Armstrong as its best.
Ewing said Tatyoon deserved to win, but he knew the Hawks would be a different side to the one Penshurst beat during the season. "At the halfway mark of the season, if Tatyoon is sitting third or fourth, they're going to bring in players," he said.
"They have the finances to do it. You can't say it's unfair. At the end of the day you know what they're going to do at the end of the season."
In yesterday's first semi-final, Hawkesdale-Macarthur defeated Moyston-Willaura 17.7 (109) to 9.9 (63).
afawkes@standard.fairfax.com.au