JUST five days after their club's future was placed in doubt Cheshire turned in a determined performance against Mersey Tigers to lift fans spirits and provide a distraction to the franchise's ongoing problems.

This week has seen the players agree to stay on while the BBL takes control of the club despite them being evicted from their accommodation and staying with club volunteers.

But they still managed to deliver when it counted as they put in a much improved effort against a much improved Mersey Tigers side to claim victory.

Early on the Jets' remedied their rebounding issues as they worked hard from the tip-off to establish an advantage.

Alif Bland began to impose himself in the paint at both ends of the floor and Kenny Moore worked the inside much more than in previous games.

As Jets coach Matt Lloyd said after the game: “It was a mixed performance, we had a good first half and we were up by 10.

“We highlighted some areas that we wanted to work on in the second half, We did that not to the best of our ability but it was a game of two halves.

“But in the circumstances it was a good performance. The guys are coming together now and they want this to work, we just need to get them all on the same page but we're not far off.

“They're a lot tighter after the experience of this week. There's a lot of banter in the dressing room and they are beginning to look like a proper team.”

The Jets, playing in unbranded kit and with no courtside advertising after owner Haydn Cook walked away from the club last Tuesday, didn't maintain their advantage in the second as Tony Walsh's Tigers bounced back led by a fine scoring run in the fourth by Chris Bigley which took the score to 74-73 in the Jets' favour.

New import Martin Calvo was also a handful but the Jets fans, who turned out to back their team in their hour of need and ratcheted up the volume to 11, roared their guys home and five consecutive successful free throws from Moore sealed the result at the end, Chez Marks top-scoring in the game with 21 points and Bland collecting a double-double 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Eagle-eyed fans will also have noticed Mike Burton making his return to the Jets bench after a five-year hiatus.

Lloyd said he was grateful to be able to draw on the experience of Burton to help the Jets through at a tough time.

“Having Mike is unbelievable,” he said. “For him to come along and offer his services, it would be a stupid mistake to say no to somebody of his calibre.

“I've trained with Mike for a long time and I've learned a lot from him. I'm still learning, but it was great to have Mike there.

But he reserved his highest praise for the fans, who got behind the team when it mattered.

“The fans were amazing throughout the whole game from start to finish, making a lot of noise particularly at the end.

“There's nothing better for those guys in the changing rooms when all you can hear is the fans chanting that they want us to continue and that's what we're here for, to provide professional basketball for everybody in this area who wants it and provide a role model.

“I was very much following the Cheshire team throughout my junior time and that's what inspired me to go as far as I can with basketball and that's what we need. That's what the professional side gives to this area.”