Even then, his push ahead would have beaten most to the byline.
Smith crossed first time into the path of striker PJ Goodlett, advancing from the opposite corner of the penalty area. Goodlett met the ball 12 metres out and hit it on the half-volley into the corner of the net to the keeper’s left.
It was a goal near perfect in its execution.
Marist almost scored a minute later. Thistle keeper Tom Talbot dived full-length to get his fingertips to a shot to turn the ball past his left post.
In the 40th minute, Marist equalised in bizarre circumstances. The ball came into the Jags’ goalmouth from Marist’s right flank and an attempted clearance cannoned off a Marist player over Talbot’s head into the goal.
In the 44th minute, Marist scored a goal almost the equal of Thistle’s in its quality. The ball was delivered from Marist’s left flank deep into the Jags’ penalty area, beyond the far post.
Right-flank marauder Jackson Durrington hit the ball first time on the half-volley — similar to Goodlett’s effort — across the goalmouth into the corner of the net to the keeper’s right.
On the balance of play to that point, Thistle were unlucky to go into the break 2-1 down.
Their defence did not seem unduly troubled by the honest endeavours of a capable Marist attack.
Rightback Levi Julies, centrebacks Brad Hill and Ander Batarrita, and leftback Alex Shanks handled most of what came their way, and had help from central midfielders Cory Thomson and Reece Brew when they were under the pump.
With Travis White and Ure patrolling the space just behind the attack, Thistle looked to have goalscoring potential if they could feed Smith and Goodlett in dangerous areas.
But Marist had a no-nonsense defence in which goalkeeper Dave Blackmore and left centreback Harrison Woolley were outstanding. Woolley, physically imposing, made some timely interceptions and launched counter-attacks with strong runs through the middle.
Marist had grafters Jake Butler and player-coach Jonty Underhill in central midfield with fleet-footed wide players Durrington on the right and Jett Hogg on the left.
Up front, Dan Baxter, supported by Liam Marshall playing a little deeper, probed for weaknesses in the Thistle defence. Those they found were often the result of defenders overplaying their hand. Sometimes a ball up the line is the best option.
In the 55th minute, referee Chris Niven awarded a penalty for a foul on a Marist player.
Baxter took the spot kick. Talbot dived to his right to save, and the rebound was hit wide.
In the 62nd, Thistle’s Smith attacked down the left, got to the byline and crossed to the far post, where Goodlett nodded the ball down towards Ure, who just failed to make contact.
The ball broke to the other end of the field. Baxter was through, one on one with the keeper. Talbot spread himself and blocked the shot, and Hogg hit the rebound wide.
Moments later, Thistle were in trouble on their right flank inside the penalty area, when Thomson made ground quickly to intercept a pass and clear the danger.
Thomson, good on the ball, is also no slouch in the tackle, and he and Brew formed an effective cushion in front of the back four.
Daniel Venema came on for Brew in the 66th minute and settled in the defence as Thistle coach Craig Stirton pushed leftback Shanks forward and Smith into the central striker’s role.
Gee Gaurav came on for injured striker Goodlett but soon moved to rightback to allow Julies to move forward.
In the 80th minute, Marist midfielder Butler let fly with a wreaker from 20 metres. Venema charged it down, but the resulting left-wing corner — hit to the near post — bobbled about until Woolley smashed it home from two metres.
Two minutes later, Thistle’s White was shown the yellow card, then the red, for his second 10-minute spell in the sin bin for dissent. The first had come in the 21st minute, following a yellow card for Thomson.
Marist’s Morgan McLellan, who came on up front in place of Hogg in the 72nd minute, was shown the yellow card within five minutes for foul play.
Referee Niven controlled the match well, no mean feat given the lack of assistant referees and the fact that this was his second game of the afternoon.
Thistle coach Stirton said his side started well, getting the ball down and laying it off.
“But once we scored we sort of switched off,” he said.
Stirton was especially pleased with the performances of Talbot, Julies and Hill.
Marist player-coach Underhill said it not easy to take points in Gisborne.
He was four or five short of his usual squad. Work commitments, Covid-19, injury and first-team call-ups were factors, but he had a core group of players who had all “put their shift in”.
Some teams would have fallen over when they missed a penalty, but his side kept playing for a hard-fought win.
Thistle’s first team were granted a deferral of their Central Federation League game away to Massey University because of the effect of Covid-19 on their squad.
