DAD-to-be Josh Cahoon weighed in with a special delivery of his own to earn Dungannon Swifts a point at the Showgrounds.
The summer signing struck an injury time equaliser at the end of a week in which he missed training to be at the side of his pregnant partner in hospital.
Former Linfield Swifts starlet Cahoon bundled the ball past Dwayne Nelson after Ballymena failed to deal with a free kick launched into their penalty area.
“Josh has been unable to be with us this week because obviously family comes first and we appreciate that,” said Swifts joint manager Darren Murphy.
“Hopefully everything works out for him at home and we can concentrate on getting him in shape because there’s potential there and he knows where the net is.
“His best position is actually centre-half but he can come in up front and do a job, as he’s proved before.
“I have to give the players credit because when you go 1-0 down at Ballymena with six minutes to go, you’re probably looking at a defeat but they’ve rallied around and created themselves an opportunity.
“It was a game of few chances but Glenn is probably more disappointed because when you go in front at such a late stage you hope to hold on, but overall we’re happy with a point.
“We had only 16 available players including two goalkeepers out of a squad of 24 but the boys on the park deserve a lot of credit,” added Murphy.
David Cushley had given United the lead seven minutes from the end – his crisp finish into the bottom corner one of few moments of quality in a forgettable encounter – and Ballymena boss Glenn Ferguson was less than impressed with his side’s inability to see the job out.
“We sat back and invited them onto us which you can’t do.
“We stopped doing what we can do well and paid the ultimate price.
“It was lapse in concentration and not reacting to the second ball – that’s the bottom line.
“It’s no secret that we are definitely in need of an out-and-out number nine. The guys up there are doing their best but if we had a natural goalscorer we would be winning these games.
“With the two points we dropped in each of our last two games, those four points would have had us sitting joint top of the league,” added a rueful Ferguson.
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