Jenkins (left) received the plaudits from the Gretna bench

It looked like the struggling home side's chance had gone when Kenny Deuchar struck the post with a penalty kick four minutes earlier.

But Jenkins was on hand to finish off in style from Brendan McGill's pass.

Aberdeen appeared to have won the game when Steve Lovell tapped into an empty net on 85 minutes after good work from team-mate Barry Nicholson.

Interview: Gretna manager David Irons

Interview: Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood

Gretna have now picked up five points from their last three matches but have been cast further adrift after St Mirren's win at Tynecastle.

It was the Borderers who started on the front foot by hemming the visitors into their own half in the first five minutes and producing two strikes at goal from Deuchar and Fabian Yantorno.

The Dons produced their first shot four minutes later when Jamie Smith forced Tony Caig to push the ball away.

Sone Aluko tested Caig with a similar effort on 15 minutes, while Yantorno sliced a good chance high and wide.

Gretna defender Aurelien Collin was lucky to escape when his blasted clearance against Dons striker Lee Miller ricocheted over the stranded Caig but just wide of post.

The visitors went close to scoring in a more conventional fashion 10 minutes before the break when Richard Foster burst down the left and his cross was narrowly missed at close range by Miller.

Gretna and Aberdeen fought out a dramatic draw at Fir Park

Three minutes into the second half the lively Aluko danced past two Gretna defenders on the edge of the box but pushed his shot from 15 yards out just wide of the far post.

A corner from Nicholson was then headed just wide by Miller with Caig rooted to the spot.

The game livened up on the hour mark when a deflected cross from Derek Young was helped on at the near post by Lovell, and Miller headed goalwards only to see Gretna right-back David Cowan head off the line.

Seconds later Aluko lashed in a fine effort which Caig did well to claw from his top left-hand corner.

The deadlock was finally broken five minutes from the end when Lovell finished from close range after Young and Miller had shown excellent persistence down the right.

The Dons' joy looked set to be short-lived when Deuchar was pushed over by Richie Byrne a minute later and referee Brian Winter pointed to the spot.

However, the Gretna striker hit the post with his effort.

But, 17 seconds into injury time, McGill crossed from the left and substitute Jenkins, lashed the ball into the corner of the net to give Gretna a dramatic draw.

Gretna: Caig, Cowan, Innes, Collin, Horwood, Yantorno, Skelton, Deverdics (Jenkins 76), Murray (McGill 81), Deuchar, Makinwa (McGuffie 49). Subs Not Used: Fleming, Barr, McLaren, Paartalu.

Booked: Innes.

Goal: Jenkins 90.

Aberdeen: Langfield, Hart (Daniel Smith 83), Touzani (Lovell 46), Byrne, Foster, Aluko (Maguire 63), Nicholson, Young, Mair, Jamie Smith, Miller. Subs Not Used: Soutar, De Visscher, Jonathan Smith.

Booked: Foster.

Goal: Lovell 86.

Att: 1,730

Ref: B Winter