Jetstream: Defeat was tough but guys gave 100% - John Lavery

Nov 17 2011

Cheshire Jets' John Lavery

SUNDAY’S defeat at the hands of the Leicester Riders was a tough one to take – they are the only team that we have played this season that have beaten us by 20 points and they’ve done it twice!

But when I spoke to the team just after the game finished, I wasn’t about to give them a hard time.

Granted we turned the ball over too many times, missed a few shots that we would normally expect to make inside and rushed a few plays when a bit more composure might have brought better rewards. But the fact remained four of those guys played their hearts out for the full 40 minutes – just as they had done twice the previous weekend, and they were up against a full 10 man rotation, including the present Great Britain captain Drew Sullivan.

They all gave 100% effort and their heads did not drop at any stage. I’ve said it before, this is a young and inexperienced team.

Two of the guys are straight from college and even Matt Schneck is only in the second year of his pro career. They work so hard for each other and these tough games will only strengthen their resolve to do better.

That’s not to say we wouldn’t welcome another win sometime soon, and Sunday’s game against the Newcastle Eagles would be a great place to start! 

It’s too soon to know whether Shawn Myers’ injury will have improved sufficiently for him to take part – but whatever the verdict on that, we know we are in for another tough match up.

We have noted that Joe Chapman and Andrew Thompson have been putting up some big numbers already this season, but after years of meeting Fab Flournoy’s teams we are well aware that their threats came come from anywhere on the court.

By the time Sunday comes we will have regrouped, learnt some lessons from last week’s game and prepared to face the challenge – and I’m sure the guys will be ready.