An Aberdeen amateur football team who hit the headlines for a record defeat have claimed their first point of the season.
St Machar Thistle suffered a 51-0 loss against AC Mill Inn in the first round of the Scottish Amateur Cup in October in the worst result in the history of the national competition.
They had only eight players available for the match and ended up on the wrong end of a painful defeat but the club’s manager Cameron Ashwood says the loss proved to be a blessing in disguise.
The defeat attracted huge attention and Ashwood was soon inundated with players looking to join the squad and help the St Machar Thistle cause.
Results have vastly improved in recent weeks and on Wednesday night St Machar achieved a notable milestone by claiming their first point of the season.
Thistle drew 3-3 at Laurencekirk West End in Division Two East of the Aberdeenshire Amateur Football Association with Daniel Tong Santino (2) and Felix Cheyne on the scoresheet.
Ashwood said: “It was magical.
“It started off like every other game we’ve had when we went 1-0 down in about five minutes after some silly errors at the back.
“I was thinking ‘here we go again’.
“The game calmed down but they went 2-0 up in the 30th minute – and it was a really good goal.
“I was hoping we could get to half time just 2-0 down but then we scored a glancing header from a long throw into the box to make it 2-1.
“I was writing the score on our social media and as I was doing that we scored again when our winger Daniel smashed one in from 20 yards.
“It was 2-0 to 2-2 in a flash. The place was absolute pandemonium!
FULL TIME
Laurencekirk West End 3-3 St Machar Thistle
St Machar pick up their first point in the league ❤️
A massive day for the club, I am so so proud of each any every one of them
MON IH MACHAR!!!!🔥🔥❤️❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/MGsQQFtK0M
— St Machar Thistle AFC (@StMacharThistle) February 21, 2024
“I think they were rattled a wee bit and I’m sure they were then the ones happy to get to half time.
“The second half went from end to end so I don’t think either team could say they deserved to win.
“They went 3-2 up with another good goal in the 65th minute but we scored another goal from a long throw – their keeper made a save and our striker Felix had a tap-in.
“At 3-3 both teams were just pushing for a winner but we both had to take the point.
“It is our first point ever.”
AC Mill Inn loss was blessing in disguise
The St Machar Thistle boss reckons the club may have folded had they not received so much coverage following their 51-0 loss against AC Mill Inn last year.
Ashwood, who is originally from Glasgow and studies psychology at Aberdeen University, said: “We now have 32 players in our pool of players – 28 of those saw the news of the 51-0 defeat and decided to come and play for the team.
“It’s a new squad but we are a really good team, we just need to gel.
“We had a couple of close results before this, losing 2-1 against Ellon and 3-2 in a cup game after extra time. We lost 2-0 the week before, so it’s no longer the thrashings we were getting at the start of the season.
“It was bound to come.
“I think the fact we have now drawn a game will help take the pressure off the boys and hopefully we can get that first win soon.
“It was a cracking result as Laurencekirk are no pushovers, they are doing well in the league.
“We were buzzing after the game. It was probably the biggest night ever for the club.”
On the coverage the club received after the 51-0 defeat, Ashwood added: “I was absolutely bewildered at times.
“It was my club and there were stories about it everywhere.
“We even had some YouTubers I love watching covering it.
“That 51-0 defeat has saved the club.
“If we had lost another game 26-0 for example, we wouldn’t have received any coverage.
“All the coverage saved the club as it has helped us get these new players.”
It would be quite a story if they were to claim that first win this weekend when they head to league leaders Monymusk, who beat St Machar 14-1 on the opening day of the season.
Ashwood added: “Before last night’s game they might have been thinking about how many they were going to score against us but hopefully we’ve given them something to think about.
“We still have 11 matches left this season so there is a long way to go but it’s great to get that first point.”