'Some of our play extremely poor and uncharacteristic' - Sheffield Sharks coach Atiba Lyons at a loss to explain Cheshire Phoenix mauling

But there are also times when, as galling as it is, they entice first-time supporters to come back again with a rip-roaring surge from behind that ultimately falls short.

Such is the equation in the quest to win new hearts and minds.

Sharks want a winning product on the court, but along with the women’s Sheffield Hatters who came on afterwards to face Caledonia Gladiators, they need to be a winning combination off it as well.

While a 104-85 loss to the Cheshire Phoenix momentarily dents their top-four ambitions in the British Basketball League, the manner of their second-half rally to the baying of the crowd is sure to bring folk back who might have ventured to this perfectly proportionate arena in Attercliffe for the first time.

Down 28 points at one stage, 25 at the half, and 14 at the end of the third, Sharks fought all the way back to within seven points on a Jordan Ratinho three-pointer with six minutes remaining.

Cheshire, though, who had built their lead on some unerring accuracy, were not to be bowed and behind the savvy Laquincy Rideau, played the situation perfectly to keep Sharks at arms length despite the frenzied scoring of Devearl Ramsey, Jalon Pipkins and Prentiss Nixon, the mid-season recruit who produced his best performance since joining.

The drama will have entertained the fans, the inconsistency of his team will infuriate Lyons.

On any given day his Sharks can blow a team away.

Lyons’ side have powerful scoring from a number of players, on multiple occasions this year they have had five players in double figures.

And they have always had a stingy defence, something Lyons prides himself on. They have swept opponents away on a number of occasions this season, particularly at the Canon Medical Arena, with the noise coming in from both sides of the court and echoing down from the roof of their impressive new home, it can be an intimidating atmosphere.

However, there are some days – like Sunday – when it is they who are on the receiving end; certainly for three quarters anyway.

Cheshire Phoenix are long-standing rivals in the British Basketball League and there have been a few ding-dongs along the way, but few can have been as one-sided as this one as Sharks lost for just the second time since moving into their new home two months ago.

The nature of it was what was most shocking, Sharks falling 31-10 down after the first quarter and 38-10 adrift as they continued their sluggish performance at the start of the second quarter, in the midst of a 17-0 Cheshire run.

The experienced Jubril Adekoya, a former BBL title winner with Leicester Riders, gave Sharks a spark with two key baskets and more importantly, two key steals to stem what appeared an incessant flow. Adekoya would finish with 15 points.

The margin was 25 at the half, the punters in the queue for refreshments outside the locker rooms no doubt able to hear some choice words coming from the home locker room.

It was Nixon (20 points) who lit the blue touch paper of the comeback, scoring 10 consecutive points either side of the end of the third quarter, including a long-range three-pointer, to get Sharks to within a single-figure deficit.

Ratinho’s corner three the highlight of his 12 and a pair of free throws from Pipkins (16) pulled them to within seven with over half the final quarter remaining as the beat of the drum increased and the decibels in the arena rose.

But Rideau and Aaron Rai rose above the noise for Phoenix to close out a victory that keeps them as London Lions closest rivals.

"First half we were sleeping,” admitted Lyons. “We’ve done a good job at home coming out with great intensity, but I changed it up a little bit (Parker Stewart for Ratinho in starting five), I don’t know if that messed with the chemistry, but you’ve got to experiment.

"Some of the stuff we did wrong was extremely poor and uncharacteristic. It was just a breakdown on a number of levels. The players have to be responsible and accountable for themselves.

"There’s no excuses, those guys are capable of playing better than that but we were playing catch-up the whole time and they’re tough opposition to be doing that against.

"We’re still trying to find our identity, it’s a long season, but with injuries and people coming in and out we’re trying to find our footing .”

A good number of the fans stayed behind for the second part of the double-header as the Sheffield Hatters went toe-to-toe with Caledonia, one of two unbeaten teams in the women’s league.

Over an hour passed between the two games, something Hatters’ homegrown guard Georgia Gayle believes is an area the club need to look at as they continue to evolve the concept of the double-header as a means to grow the fanbase for both teams. “I think we’re slowly getting there,” said GB international Gayle. “It’s good we’re trying to get the fans for the men’s teams to stay on.

“We’re trying to figure whether the gap between games is too long, whether we should put the women on first. But we’re moving in the right direction with these double headers.”