Mendes rescue act at Thistle has doused the flames of Ibrox anger

The £3million signing from Portsmouth didn't bat an eyelid when it was put to him he had jumped from a comfort zone in the Premiership into the burning fire of Ibrox ire.

'All the players with Rangers have to deal with pressure,' he said on August 15, supreme confidence resting easily on his shoulders.

Chip and charge: Mendes slots away the late winner to take Rangers into the fourth round of the Co-Operative Insurance Cup

'I've fought relegation before with Pompey and just because Rangers have had a tough couple of weeks it doesn't mean we won't improve.'

Come his debut the following day against Hearts, Mendes took an extinguisher to the flames of discontent and has been doing so ever since in truly spectacular style.

The midfielder averted a potential Co-operative Insurance Cup crisis at Firhill on Wednesday night as Rangers edged out Partick Thistle thanks to his wonder winner.

Mendes arced the ball beyond Jonny Tuffey with the outside of his right foot. It would have been an audacious finish even in training - to perfect it after 116 minutes of cup-tie action against wannabe giantkillers simply confirmed his bona-fide class.

Later, the man from Guimaraes, who won the Champions League alongside Deco and Maniche under Jose Mourinho at Porto, laid down a marker on his Ibrox ambitions.

'We are out of Europe, so the only thing on our minds is winning the domestic trophies,' insisted Mendes. 'We will try very hard to win all three.

Thistle be a surprise: Kevin McKinlay (right) celebrates his goal with team mate Stephen McKeown

'We've started well in the league and have played some fantastic football in spells. We are creating a lot of chances and just need to make sure we are taking them.

'We are missing too many but will work at it in training. If we do start scoring more, then the wins will become easier for us.'

Mendes arrived in Glasgow with a reputation for scoring spectacular goals after some superb strikes at Tottenham and Portsmouth. But the memories of those goals mask the fact that he didn't even find the net last season.

When he netted from 25 yards against Celtic, few would have expected him to better the strike within a month. But the Firhill moment was one he will treasure.

'I have finished like that before, yes - in training!' said Mendes, with a grin. 'I cannot recall scoring like that, with the outside of my right foot, in a game before.

'The difficult bit was the fact we had already played for almost two hours. Your body is tired and your mind is tired but, when the chance came along, I just felt: "I have to try this - it is now or never".

'I was aware it was close to the end and we were s t a r i n g a t penalties. To be fair, I felt all along if we scored in extra-time we would get through. Scoring the second goal so late ensured they didn't have much time to get back in the game again.'

Rangers had already jettisoned the lead supplied by Kris Boyd's instinctive 25th-minute volley. Stephen McKeown levelled for Thistle with a well-placed angled shot and Mendes felt the goal gave Ian McCall's side a huge lift.

'The game unfolded the way I had expected because I have experienced this type of game before in England - it was like an FA Cup tie,' he said.

Stunner: Kris Boyd celebrates his thunderbolt volley at Firhill

'I knew what it was about and it is never easy, no matter what division your opponents are in. Fair play to Partick Thistle because they played well and look like a team that can achieve something this season.

'There were parts of the game where we played well. If you look back on it, we created so many chances. But we kept missing them and, when that happens, it can give the other team a lift.

'They scored at 1-0 but, if we had been ahead at half-time, then I think it would have been completely different.

'Thistle had something to fight for with the equaliser and it was tough. In extra-time, they were thinking about penalties.'

Mendes merely laughed when it was put to him he only finished second in a Goal of the Night competition as Boyd's strike drew comparisons with Marco van Basten's Euro '88 volley for Holland against Russia.

'Boyd's finish was unbelievable,' said the midfielder. 'He is a scorer, simple as that. To do that was amazing and he can score fantastic goals. I do not set myself any targets. If I can score, then great. But if we win, that is even better.

'I never score tap-ins. Well, not in recent years. A long time ago, at Vitoria Guimaraes, I might have scored with a tap-in.

'I'm playing quite far forward now for a midfielder, so maybe more chances are going to come along.

'Each striker is different and is his own man. They all have their strengths and Boyd's key strength is his finishing. His goal at Thistle showed that, especially the way he took it first time.'

Mendes has a few strengths of his own. The Portuguese Man o' War looks officer material.