BBL Championship: Cheshire Jets 91 Essex Pirates 59

Oct 3 2010 by Alec Doyle, Chester Chronicle

A TROUBLED Pirates side may not have provided the test that Jets head coach Paul Smith would have liked as he searches for higher intensity from his side, but victory tonight will have sent confidence coursing through the veins of his players.

Early in the first quarter the Pirates kept up with the play as the Jets found their scoring form but after a couple of minutes the Jets took a stranglehold, Matt Schneck picking up where he left off against the Mersey Tigers on Friday and bossing things underneath the home basket while Gareth Murray came into his own, finding his feet power in and get some points under his belt.

Jeremy Bell rediscovered some of the energy that he displayed in the opening weekend and that translated into repeated fast scoring breaks as the pacy guard raced away from his minders.

With the Jets in charge Colin O'Reilly was forced off court for the remainder of the quarter after a collision opened up his chin and he departed for treatment leaving a crimson trail of blood in his wake.

The Jets never broke stride however, dominating a Pirates side made up solely of home-grown players who have been outclassed in most of their games to date this season.

Quemont Greer played a classy blind pass to Bell for his second three-pointer of the quarter before the speedster won three free throws for a foul, landing two of them on his way to a 25-point haul in the game.

Greer by contrast was quiet on the scoring front, instead taking up good positions and bringing others into play.

He was responsible for many of Bell's points while Schneck finished with a game-high 28 having made himself king of the paint at both ends.

Gareth Murray had the final word in the first half however as he polished off a dunk after Bell set him up to send the Northgate Arena crowd into raptures, Murray saluting the crowd as he hung from the rim, By half-time the Jets led 52-28 and the contest was over.

Unfortunately it seemed like that was the message on-court as the Jets switched off for large portions of the third and it took a time-out rant by Smith the fire them up again. They immediately began to hurry the Pirates in everything they did and capitalised on their mistakes.

In the fourth quarter Stephen Gayle took centre stage as the Jets began to wind things down.

A handful of points, one of which came from a Superman-style dive, secured the spotlight firmly on the Mancunian guard. Phil Brandreth was also introduced and made a superb steal to set up Colin O'Reilly for a three.

As time ran down Smith rested some of his big guns and handed debuts to Ryan Gallagher, Neil Gillard and Christian Single.

With Whitby's own Brandreth also on court it meant of the final five Gayle was born furthest away, demonstrating the Jet's commitment to local talent. And it was the Lancashire lad who had the final word, launching a shot right on the buzzer to land two points and take the Jets past the magical 90.

Afterwards Paul Smith said there wasn't much his side could really learn from the game.

"It was a good start," he said. "We got some levels of intensity but we turned them over 35 times, you're never going to do that again against another team.

"But the guys did everything I asked them to do. The guys played hard, we got to practice our sets at both ends of the floor, practice our zone defence there are positives you can squeeze out of a game like that.

"I got to get guys in there and give them a bit of confidence, Gareth and Colin got to get a few shots off. I think as far as the weekend is concerned we need to reflect on Friday night's game, not tonight's.

"The Pirates are in a really tough situation, they played us as best they can so the only positives you can take are that the team do what you ask them to and they did, by and large. Not for 40 minutes, again, and that's got to be our goal.

"At times our ball movement was poor and we've got more to learn. Whenever they cross that line anywhere on Planet Earth they have to play hard. In training they have to play hard, it is a habit we have to get into."