Aberdeen 0-0 St Mirren: Mackie’s tribute to fans in an emotional farewell

Aberdeen striker Darren Mackie was wrought with emotion after bringing the curtain down on his career with his boyhood heroes in Saturday’s stalemate.

Mackie joined Aberdeen straight from school and, at the age of 30, is searching for a new employer for the first time after being let go.

Captain for the day, he saw St Mirren goalkeeper Craig Samson deny him from the game’s best chance after just four minutes, and he was clearly disappointed not to have marked the occasion with a goal.

He said: “It would have been nice to sign off with a goal, but it wasn’t to be. It’s just the way football goes, and I’ve missed easier chances in my time here”

Mackie paid tribute to the club and the Dons support, but accepts that a more successful Aberdeen side would unlock the true potential of the Dons’ fanbase. He said: “The fans were amazing. They’re right behind you when things are going well, and the boys need to start doing it on the park to get them back in the huge numbers. Thanks to them for the reception they gave me today.

“It’s hard to say what I’ll miss most. I’ve loved every minute. It’s a great bunch of boys and the staff here are terrific, but life goes on. I’ll need to sort myself out and I wish Aberdeen all the best of luck for the future.”

Dundee have been credited with an interest in Mackie, but the striker will be putting his football future on the back burner for the moment. He added: “My wife is heavily pregnant and three weeks to go. That’s the first thing in my head, so once that’s out the way we’ll discuss our plans for the future.”

St Mirren manager Danny Lennon, meanwhile, is also looking to the future. He has imposed his own footballing ideas on the Paisley side in his two years at the club and is delighted with their progress this season.

“I don’t look down and see the teams we’ve finished above. I now look up and see what other teams have done, and we try to emulate that,” he said. “We’ve brought a new style of football to St Mirren and it’s a difficult way to do things. There’s got to be a lot of belief, a lot of patience, and a lot of forgiveness between the coaches, players and fans.”

He added: “I must commend the fans. They’ve been fantastic. The letters we’ve had this season have put the message across that they’ve been entertained. I’ve replied to all two!”