NEWCASTLE Eagles chief Fab Flournoy has warned his BBL title pace-setters to expect a backlash from “second-leg specialists” Sheffield.

The Eagles were dominant in the first clash of the two title favourites last Friday, but in a curious quirk of the fixture list must face the same opponents at Sport Central tonight.

Despite both games being league clashes, that gives tonight’s contest something of a “play-off feel” according to Flournoy – and that makes the New Yorker wary of the visiting Sharks.

He said: “Last Friday was a big, big win for us. We played well and we picked up a win on the road – which could be huge.

“However, they will be better next time, that is for certain.

“They will come out fighting with their backs against the wall and try to make our jobs much, much more difficult.

“Throughout the years Sheffield are always good in second legs, so that is another reason we have to be careful.

“I know this is not a play-off or Cup or Trophy game, but there is a definite play-off feel to playing a team in successive weeks.

“That is how Atiba (Lyons, Sheffield coach) will be viewing this game and he will know his teams come alive in the second leg of games.

“Just like last season, when we played them in the play-offs, they came back in the second leg and really made us pay.

“The year before they had a home game with Worcester, who beat them by 20 points in the first game, and they went there and won by 24.

“The same thing happened at Leicester a few years before.

“It is always like that – they always come back strong in the second leg and I fully expect them to do the same thing tonight.”

The Eagles can steal a significant march on the Sharks if they repeat their winning performance tonight –- scooping the crucial head-to-head and putting Sheffield well and truly on the back foot.

Flournoy added: “We do not win the league if we win tonight, it is far too early in the season for that.

“However, the head-to-head would be huge, it would really give us an advantage over them.

“That is a huge pressure on Sheffield for this game.”

With that in mind, Flournoy is predicting a fast-paced thriller at Sport Central.

He was particularly fulsome in his praise of the quick start the Eagles had at the Institute of Sport, an opening that saw them race into a clear 20-point lead.

Their first-quarter performance was probably the best basketball Newcastle have played all season, with their new-look back court combination really coming alive in the absence of established star Charles Smith.

Sharks will probably try to combat that by making their own quick start – a development that Flournoy will relish.

He said: We were just more aggressive than they were last weekend.

“We had talked all week in the lead up to the game about making a good start and we did that.

“I was absolutely delighted with our intensity and we really put them on the back foot. There is no way Atiba will let that happen again.

“I am sure they will come out looking to put us on the back foot.”

Meanwhile, Flournoy will continue to assess veteran Smith – who is recovering from a hamstring injury.

He added: “We did not want to risk him last weekend.

“At the moment it is a day by- day thing with Charles and we will probably leave that until the afternoon of the game.”