Alderney denied a long-awaited win by Camacho's late strike

And what terrific entertainment they got on Saturday afternoon as two bottom-half sides, both on something of an upwards trajectory in their own way, served up a 10-goal thriller full of ebb and flow.

Alderney twice came back from two-goal deficits and eventually took the lead from the penalty spot in the 94th minute, before the home team conjured an equaliser within 60 seconds with the last meaningful kick of the match.

Zac Batiste was a constant threat for Rangers, helping himself to two good goals and twice striking a post and he opened the scoring with a ‘worldie’ of a strike from 30 yards after just five minutes.

It was a blow for Alderney, looking to build on defensive solidity shown in two recent draws up at home, and they went 2-0 down inside 20 minutes when the defence turned messy as they seemed to believe they had conceded a throw-in rather than a corner. Steve Renouf’s flag kick was met by Jacques Cauvin on the penalty spot with no defender near him.

But there had been signs of attacking promise, mostly prompted by the bright and busy Janick Radford on the Alderney left, but the goal they conjured to respond within three minutes came from the right, where Dante Walker’s neat footwork and low cross was turned in off a post by a sliding Jamie Blackham.

The blues drew level inside half an hour. Rangers failed to properly clear a free kick and centre back Saul Falla, on his debut, having just transferred from Rovers, met the looping ball with a left-foot side volley that, with a couple of deflections, found its way in.

The goals did not stop – Renouf raced down the right and crossed low for Batiste to finish clinically for 3-2, and then, just before the break, Falla passed a clearance straight to Renouf, who cut inside and finished low past Dean Carre.

Rangers lost George Goubert at the break and soon afterwards saw Cauvin limp off, and Alderney exerted considerable pressure while always looking slightly vulnerable on the counter.

Radford got the goal his performance deserved when Blackham’s quick throw set him away to ghost past Cauvin and side-foot through Seb Sheppard’s legs.

Batiste struck a post coming in on Steffan Timms’ low cross before Jermaine Parry’s shot struck a red hand at close range. Derek Gilman did not hesitate to blow for a penalty and Josh Concanen struck it high into the net to draw the match level on 71 minutes.

Either side could then have won it – Alderney had several half-chances but the best fell to Rangers. Carre sprawled full length to deny Batiste from 25 yards and from the resulting corner, the striker rattled the post with a stunning strike from the edge of the area.

Alderney pressed hard deep into added time, and there were subdued shouts for a penalty when substitute Olly Taylor went down in a late scramble. Radford picked up the clearance, nutmegged a defender and as Sheppard dived at his feet, nicked the ball away and went sprawling under the challenge for another penalty.

Concanen went bottom left this time and though Sheppard got a hand to it, he could not stop it.

Alderney thought it was the three points they had craved since last August, but when Radford was dispossessed in his own half with what looked like a borderline foul, substitute Jose Camacho let fly from fully 30 yards and found the back of the net to salvage a point and complete the entertainment for the afternoon.