Frustrated coach Steve Butler has warned his Tees Valley Mohawks side they must cut out the “schoolboy errors” if they are to turn their season around.
The Middlesbrough-based side go into tomorrow’s EBL National League Division One clash away to Leicester Warriors on the back of three straight defeats.
After a poor start to the season it has left them in the bottom three - but each of their last three defeats have been agonisingly close.
And the fine margin of those results has given Butler cause for optimism that they can recover sufficiently to mount a challenge for the play-offs.
“Last weekend and the previous two have been frustrating,” reflected Butler.
“We have played the best teams in the country and have thrown away victories which should have been ours.
“I know we can compete and beat the best this league has to offer but we need to show that on the court, starting tomorrow.
“We made some schoolboy errors last week that I wasn’t impressed with but with Romonn Nelson struggling with flu plus Lee McLaughlin and Alvaro Pontes out due to injuries, we showed we can still compete and challenge these top teams.”
Tomorrow’s hosts have started the league campaign reasonably well and are currently in eighth spot with a 3-2 record.
They beat Mohawks 84-79 in the National Trophy earlier in the season after Butler’s men controlled the first three quarters and led by 11 points going into the final session.
However Mohawks collapsed late on and missed out - something which has since become an alarming habit.
“We played really well last time we played Leicester but a 24-8 collapse in the final quarter saw them take home the victory,” said Butler.
“We didn’t have Charles Rhodes or Bryan Hockaday for that game, though, so I’m confident those two players can help us get the victory we need.”
There is certainly a determination in the Mohawks camp to put things right, as Rob Donaldson confirmed.
“Last time we threw away the victory and we have to stop allowing teams back into games,” he said.
“We need to be more focused towards the end of games and kill teams off.
“The coach keeps saying how close we are at being a great squad but we have to gain that confidence to get across the winning line and start moving up the league quickly.
“It’s a long season and we will get this right and start getting the results we need.”
Mohawks’ final league game before the Christmas break is a week tomorrow at Teesside University’s Olympia Building against Manchester Magic.
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