Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
SKY BLUE SHOW OF CARRICKTER
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BY STEVEN CRAWFORD SATURDAY’S win over Carrick Rangers was not only a crucial victory for Ballymena United, but also a key marker for boss David Jeffrey.
The experienced manager was left doing a lot of soul-searching in the corresponding fixture two months ago as the Sky Blues slipped to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Stuart King’s side.
Jeffrey revealed he was contemplating his future questioning if he was the right man to lead Ballymena forward following the loss.
But a positive meeting with his players and the board assured him he had the full backing of the club.
Fast forward to Saturday and the two sides faced off again with the Sky Blues producing an impressive display to not only avenge the previous result but also to overcome the horrendous weather conditions.
“We were just very down after that previous game but we’ve stuck together and worked very hard after that,” Jeffrey said after the 2-0 win.
“The club is always first and that has always been the case in my two managerial jobs.
“I did think, is it better for the players, the club, the board if someone else came in?
“It wasn’t a pity party or anything like that.
‘But the players were very clear and the chairman was very supportive and we talked things through.
“We got our just rewards today and it was absolutely lovely to hear the encouragement and appreciation from our fans throughout the game.
“The conditions were horrendous so both sides deserve a huge amount of credit.”