Championship boss calls for more protection for star player that has 'been through the wars' during fine goalscoring run

The Glentoran loanee brought his league goal tally for the season to 15 with a hat-trick on Tuesday evening which helped end Bangor’s 11-game unbeaten run and sent Dundela four points clear at the top ahead of their weekend clash with second-placed Institute.

Jenkins, who has played in the top-flight for the Glens, Dungannon Swifts, Portadown, Carrick Rangers and Glenavon, is enjoying the best goalscoring form of his senior career to date with only Zach Barr (17) and Matthew Ferguson (16) able to boast a better Championship return, but it’s also coming at a physical cost.

He will undoubtedly have a key role to play if Dundela are to reign supreme in a tightly-contested second-tier – only 10 points currently separate the leaders and sixth-placed Ballyclare Comrades – and Gourley doesn’t want injuries to hamper Jenkins’ progression.

"Jordan is up there,” he said. “The only thing with Jordan - and I said this in one of my interviews back in November - he's getting lumps booted out of him every week.

"When there's a player like that who when he gets a chance knows where the net is, certain teams will try and take him out of the game and nullify him. He has been through the wars and I've spoken to a couple of officials to see if we can get some sort of protection.

"100%...I really do (think players like Jordan need more protection). There's an ongoing campaign with the referees that I completely agree with, but at the same time they need to work with us.

"I see senior managers are bringing up the point now that you have to work with managers and coaches. Most of us have all played the game so we know when it's a foul or not and nowadays the contact doesn't need much for it to be a foul.

"Jordan went to hospital after the Portadown game to get two staples in his head, on Saturday he went home with two stud marks down his thigh and on Tuesday he had to come off with an impact injury.

"He's scoring goals, but he's going through the wars for a young lad and there has to be some sort of protection for players of that calibre. They have a chance of making it and they could be wrecked before they get that chance."

Gourley hailed Jenkins’ mentality and also feels the club’s current success is being driven by the experienced core of players within his dressing room.

"What a kid he is...his attitude is fantastic,” he added. "When he came to us he was down in the dumps and certain things had happened, but he's now playing out of his skin.

"He's enjoying himself, enjoying the group, changing room, the club and is scoring goals...a happy footballer is a good footballer and that's showing with him.

"As it is with the rest of them...Jay Magee has been there and done it, Jaimie McGovern, Dee McMaster, Andy Hall - they are all experienced professionals and they're all loving it. Andy Hall ran seven miles the other Saturday...I couldn't have ran that in two matches!"