“The girls had better control in the midfield and to be fair, Marist had a few players away,” said Pierard.
They included danger woman Kenzie Holmes and stalwart midfielder Karen McDonald, who is out indefinitely with a calf injury.
“Marist played the long ball a lot,” said Pierard. “They kicked it over (the top) for their striker Chelsea Simpson to chase it. She is quick but our defensive pair of Kamaia Pomana and Phoebe Taylor did really well to mop up.”
Pierard said goalie Rebecca Collier had also found her stride as a first-year player in the first 11 ranks.
“She is not used to playing in this team and has to sit on the edge of her blocks and sweep. She was pretty sound at doing that against Marist and tidying things up.”
Marist senior player Pip Thomson also praised the students’ performance.
“They played a great passing game and were the better team on the day,” said Thomson, who was up against her niece Paula Jeune.
With only one sub on the Marist bench, forwards Simpson and Emily Willock “ran their socks off”, she said.
Marist face their the most difficult assignment yet on Sunday — a top-of-the-table game against defending champions Gisborne Laundry Services Thistle, who whitewashed Lytton High 7-0.
Torepe Taumaunu got a hat-trick and the other goals came from Renae Lolohea, Erin Sycamore, Tori Williams and Olivia Scott.
Despite Marist’s loss teasing the pressure on Thistle to an extent, coach Blake Mulrooney said his team tended not to worry about “any of that” anyway.
“We just try to play football and let the rest take care of itself. The ladies are definitely looking forward to playing this weekend.”
Campion College earned their first win of the season on Sunday, beating the Bohemians 2-1.
United had the bye.
