We were disappointing in the first half...They manhandled us and pushed us around Riders coach Rob Paternostro

Leicester Riders coach Rob Paternostro said forward Tony Windless played a key part in the comeback victory over Essex Pirates in the BBL Trophy on Saturday.

Riders trailed by 15 points early in the second period at the John Sandford Centre but hit back to secure a 80-70 win in the first game of the season.

Paternostro told BBC Radio Leicester: "Tony was fantastic in the third.

"He really got us back in the game with some smart defensive displays and some smart plays down the other end."

But Paternostro admitted his side's efforts in the early stages were not good enough.

"We were disappointing in the first half, without a doubt. They manhandled us; they pushed us around. They were more physical than us and stronger than us," he said.

"But in the second half we buckled down defensively. We made some tactical adjustments and we did a good job.

"We have a long way to go and a lot of work to do."

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