For a time it looked quite promising, that Sheffield Sharks were going to snap their five-game losing skid in the BBL Championship.

Devearl Ramsey had just spotted Jordan Ratinho in the corner and the latter nailed a three-point play.

Sa’eed Nelson and Rodney Glasgow were sinking buckets for fun, and Sheffield Sharks had a 10-point lead over the Bristol Flyers with 57 seconds left in the first half.

Then a momentary lapse in concentration and second-placed Bristol had halved the deficit to 45-40 at the break.

Devearl Ramsey made his BBL Championship debut for Sheffield Sharks against Bristol Flyers (Picture: Adam Bates)

"Offensively we’re playing with confidence and guys are getting shots that they can make,” said Ratinho, when interviewed by his old team-mate Mike Tuck on the Sky Sports coverage.

Alas, it was not meant to be for the Sharks, as Flyers used that five-point burst to score the first seven points of the third quarter to take the lead.

By the end of the third, Flyers were 66-60 ahead and they stretched that to 91-73 by the close of play at Ponds Forge.

Ratinho finished as the Sharks’ top scorer with 16, building on the season-high 17 he scored in the first half of the BBL Trophy game against Thames Valley Cavaliers last Sunday.

Nelson contributed 14 points, captain Glasgow and Marcus Delpeche added 10 apiece.

New signing Tyrn Flowers added three points from 13 minutes of play having only just arrived from America this week.

"He’s very quick and he can make plays, so it’s definitely something we can utilise,” said Ratinho.

Sharks are at big-spending London Lions on Sunday.

London Lions lie in wait as Sheffield Sharks drop to sixth straight BBL Championship defeat against Bristol Flyers