The smiles beaming from the faces of the Lowestoft management team of Micky Chapman, Ady Gallagher, Craig Fleming and Dave Carolan were broader than the English Channel as they watched their charges move up to 4th in the Ryman Premier Division with an impressive 2-0 victory over Concord Rangers. The victory helped to erase the bitter memories of the five goal thrashing suffered at the same venue just 5 months earlier.

It took the Blues just two minutes to take the lead. Adam Smith played a superb free kick into the danger area where Lee McGlone rose majestically to head home. Concord could make little impression on the solid Lowestoft defence with their only threat coming from a free kick by Dave Collins but Harry Elmes’ header was well wide of the mark.

Lowestoft always looked the more likely to score and central defender Greg Crane caught out keeper Dale Brightly with a 55 yard free kick which drifted just wide of the upright. A sweet flowing move featuring Scott Mitchell, lee McGlone and Jamie Godbold ended with the latter’s shot being held by Brightly. The keeper then flew across goal to superbly save Dale Cockrill’s 30 yard thunderbolt.

A rare Concord counter saw Elmes clear but he was denied by a superbly timed saving tackle from Smith. The half ended though as it had started with the Trawlerboys on the offensive with Danny Bloomfield’s cross inches too far forward fro Cockrill to reach.

Lowestoft continued in control in the second period with a quickly taken free kick played through by Godbold to Bloomfield whose shot was deflected wide. The Blues though deservedly moved 2 goals ahead on the hour mark. Mitchell [played the ball inside the full back to the overlapping Smith who pulled the ball back from the byeline for Bloomfield to shoot home at the near post.

Although more was seen of Concord as an attacking force in the second period they never looked like breaking through Lowestoft’s impressive back four of Matt Halliday, Crane, Curtis Haynes-Brown and Smith. Lowestoft looked the more likely side to add to the score sheet with a McGlone header deflected wide and a Joe Francis cross turned just over his own bar by Lee White.

Terry Lynes

Match Information

Score: Concord Rangers - 0      Lowestoft Town - 2

Lowestoft Town Team: Reynolds, Halliday, A Smith, Fisk (Sub Ainsley 73), Crane, Haynes-Brown, Godbold, Cockrill, McGlone, Bloomfield (Sub Francis 80), Mitchell, Subs (not used) Gaughran, Marsden, Bussens

Lowestoft Town Scorers: McGlone, Bloomfield.

Concord Rangers Team: Brightly, Miller (Sub J Elmes 14), Glozier, Cowley, Thomas (Sub Sontag 61), White, King, Lawson, Stokes (Sub Brayley 67), H Elmes, Collins, Subs (Not used) K Smith, Johnson

Attendance: 236

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