LISTEN: ‘Sense of relief and achievement’ as Alderney end 18-month winless run

Eighteen months after their last win in the FNB Priaulx League, Nomads claimed all three points on Saturday as they exacted revenge on Bels, who had beaten them a week earlier.

They did it in dramatic fashion, too, with Dante Walker conjuring a late winner at the end of a see-saw battle at the Arsenal Ground.

The game was entering stoppage time when the Alderney match-winner sent the home crowd into raptures, somehow managing to find the net after his initial shot at the end of a skilful run had been saved by Adam Gontier.

• Listen to a full interview with Alderney assistant Rob Kirkland on the latest Guernsey Press Football Podcast

It had been a topsy-turvy encounter, with Bels creating their share of chances, particularly in the first half.

Nomads started brightly with new signing Cosmin Rotaru playing in central midfield, but it was the visitors who created the first notable chance and James Taylor was the busier of the goalkeepers in the early exchanges.

Both sides struggled to keep possession for lengthy periods and it was not until midway through the half that Alderney threatened with Josh Concanen’s effort blocked before Liam Connor’s shot cleared the bar.

It was Bels who broke the deadlock. Taylor conceded a penalty, which he then saved, but the Cal Cummins-Wall forced home the rebound.

They could have extended their lead before the break, but it was the hosts who scored on the stroke of half-time when a well-worked corner resulted in Andrew Lawrence finishing into the top corner.

Nomads took that momentum into the second half and after a couple of half-chances were missed, the introduction of veteran Steve Concanen from the bench soon saw him causing some chaos in the box at a corner and the ball fell to his brother Josh, who blasted it home to put his side 2-1 up.

The hosts pressed for a third with both Lawrence and Jermaine Parry coming close, but in the closing stages they were pegged back after a long throw was allowed to reach the back post where it was turned home by Brad Foss.

There was another twist in the tale, though, when Walker’s mazy dribble took him into the box and after Gontier had blocked his first attempt, while on the floor Walker was alert to knock the ball into the net.