United skipper relieved at comeback

The Sky Blues skipper admitted culpability for DC’s potentially game-ending third goal in a hugely forgettable first half for United.

But Jenkins himself hauled Ballymena back into the game when his first half injury time penalty kick-started his side’s epic comeback.

“I think I was penalty taker by default. Ally Teggart is supposed to be on them but he wasn’t on the pitch but I’ll be on them now until I miss!

“I was glad I was able to do something positive to get us back into it, especially given my part in their third goal.

“The guy had laid it off from myself and I’ve just switched off and he’s run to the back post. I’m watching, going ‘oh no’ and the inevitable happens but I’m big enough and ugly enough to take responsibility for my part in the goal.

“You certainly make it hard for yourself when you go 3-0 down inside about half an hour.

“I think they had three shots on goal throughout the match and scored from all three.

“We were fortunate enough to get the penalty and managed to kick on from there.

“We could have won the game four, five six-three had we taken our chances.

“After we got the second goal back we were deeper and deeper in their half and we got free kick after free kick and corner after corner and even after we got the equaliser, we had a few half-chances but nothing really broke for us.

“After losing for the first time in so long during the week, the true test comes in how you react and for half an hour it looked as though we hadn’t reacted very well.

“But you have to say we showed good character to get back into the game – maybe 12 months ago it might have been a different story at 3-0 down.

“You have to take the positives out of in that we gained a point on the likes of Crusaders and Cliftonville and I think we’ll struggle to play as poorly again.

“It was the type of game that just kind of sums football up in many ways, particularly when you come off the pitch and hear the other results.

“I think you’d have done well to get a football coupon up in the Irish League this weekend!” laughed Jenkins.