Cheshire Jets: Derby win over Tigers will kick-start our season, says Colin O'Reilly

Oct 20 2011 Chester Chronicle

COLIN O’Reilly reckons a derby victory tomorrow would be the ‘perfect remedy’ for a Cheshire Jets side looking to cure their early-season blues.

Jets have lost their opening four matches of the 2011-12 campaign – three in the group stages of the BBL Trophy and one in the Championship – but O’Reilly is remaining calm and focused, insisting there is no need to panic just yet.

Next on the horizon is tomorrow’s Trophy duel with Mersey Tigers at the Liverpool club’s new home, Knowsley Leisure & Culture Park (7.30pm tip-off). Neither side can qualify from Group Two but the fixture is anything but a ‘dead rubber’ in O’Reilly’s eyes.

The Irish forward said: “I see it as a derby game, not a dead rubber.

“It’s a game you want to win for the fans and for the club, more than for yourself.

“We need a win and a victory might kick-start our season. It would be the perfect remedy and I’m sure we’ll be fine once we’re up and running.”

Cork-born O’Reilly, 27, is now in his third season with the Jets, and his second as captain.

He is a veteran of plenty of Jets/Tigers battles and will no doubt be in the thick of the action again tomorrow.

He realises the game as added importance as Jets are looking to give their fans something to smile about, having started the season so slowly.

Sunday’s 80-59 loss at home to Leicester Riders in the first Championship match of the campaign was particularly galling for the Northgate faithful, but O’Reilly said: “The fellers have got to put it behind them. You can’t dwell on the result. You’ve just got to move on, knuckle down and do what you can do to help the team.”

O’Reilly admitted that Jets’ players were a little behind some of their BBL rivals in terms of match sharpness, having only started their pre-season training a couple of weeks before their opening Trophy group game.

Most other sides were together for three or four weeks.

“There is no big panic just yet,” said O’Reilly. “We’ve only been together a month. We’re still catching up on some of the other teams who were together for longer.”

He added: “If we can steal one against the Tigers, we will. We just want a positive result.”