There was quite a see-saw battle on Saturday in the Pitching In Southern League Premier Central as Lowestoft Town recovered from going two goals down in the opening 20 minutes at Redditch United.
Having got themselves back on level terms in first half stoppage time, the Trawlerboys then fell behind again in the opening exchanges of the second period, only to level things up once more and then go on and get the winner five minutes from time.
Finding the net for the second game in succession was Portuguese ace, João Soares Rangel, who put in a Man of the Match display for his side as they reached the 30-point mark after 22 League games.
“It was a real battle out there,” the former Portugal U15 international told us. “Credit to our hosts for making it so tough for us, but I am proud of the way in which we responded as a team.
“Going two goals down so early on was challenging but we stuck to our game plan, remained patient and took our chances when they came.
“I was pleased with my performance and it’s always a great feeling to get on the scoresheet with my goal bringing it back to 3-3 soon after they had regained the lead.
“That goal gave us a big boost and helped to turn things in our favour. It was a collective effort that saw us go on to get ourselves in front for the first time with five minutes to go and that resilience and determination helped us hold on to our lead and fight to the end to bring home the points.
“The season up to this point has been a bit of a roller-coaster, but we’ve showed a lot of promise recently and the hard work that we are putting in is starting to pay off. It’s all about consistency, of course, and we have to continue to push ourselves to grow and achieve our objectives.
“This is such a competitive League where you are up against strong opponents and talented players every week. Because of the strength, it makes it even more rewarding when you get the results, especially in the manner that we did at the weekend. It really pushes us on to constantly improve and adapt to our surroundings.
“I want to keep building on my experience and contributing to the team. I am always looking to develop my game for the benefit of the team and our goal is to finish as high as possible and build a strong foundation for future success.
“We are a work in progress, but at the heart of it we want to be competitive in every game and give our fans something to really be proud of.”
Rangel was part of the Norwich City youth set-up from U9s to U16s, he then signed a two-year scholarship at Barnsley but there was no professional deal at the end of it and he eventually moved to Portugal with Académica de Coimbra, where he played for a year.
He then spent a season with Nogueirense before coming back to England, initially with Gainsborough Trinity, a move which gave him an introduction to the rough-and-tumble of Step 3 football, as did a loan switch to Pontefract, where he started to make his mark.
A move to King’s Lynn Town didn’t work out as planned and so he headed to Wroxham where his confidence returned and it led to a move to Lowestoft Town as they look to get to grips with life back in the Premier Central.
“It’s been quite a journey for me,” he added. “There have been plenty of ups and downs along the way and I have learned so much.
“I am enjoying my football right now and I am really excited by what lies ahead for me and this team.”
A home game against Stamford AFC awaits on Tuesday before they head to Biggleswade Town at the weekend.
IMAGE: @GeoPur1881
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