United's season... in numbers

0 – The number of times United won a match after conceding the opening goal. Underlines the lack of mental strength and leadership within the team.

4 – United's longest unbeaten sequence of the season, at the start of February, with two wins and a draw in the league and an Irish Cup win over Ballinamallard sandwiched in between. Never a long enough run to take the Sky Blues up the league table.

9 – The number of players red-carded this season, the worst in many years. Only in one of those games did United go on to win – against the 10 men of Portadown in September. The loss of players in those games – and subsequently to suspension – had a dertimental effect on the team.

16 – Leading goalscorer Kevin Kelbie's total for the season. Not bad in itself in a struggling team but that and the fact that other main striker Andy Smith only scraped into double figures in the closing stages underlines the general lack of goals that plagued United all season.

18 – The number of defeats for United by a one-goal margin in all competitions. A huge improvement on some of the hammerings of last season but still illustrates how United came up just short on so many occasions. If even half those had been turned into draws or wins, Ballymena's position would have been much healthier.

33 – The number of league points Ballymena gave up to teams in the bottom half of the table. In those same meetings, United earned just 21 points. Ballymena MUST improve on results against teams of a similar standing because some year they won't be able to pull wins against Linfield, Glentoran and the other 'big guns' out of the bag.

1250 – The number of pounds Ballymena were fined by the Irish FA after being found guilty of making racist remarks towards Dungannon Swifts goalkeeper Alvin Rouse in August. It was the biggest nonsense I have witnessed in many years of covering Irish league football and the money was later raised by a collection among fans but the whole episode leaves a sour taste in a season that won't live long in anyone's memory.