Marist claim third place

First place may have eluded

Palmerston North Marist this season, but the future is bright for the young team.

Marist ended their W-league season with a 4-3 win over lastplaced Victoria University in Wellington on Saturday. Miserable weather made the game difficult for both sides and Marist looked to be on their way to a 4-1 win until Victoria pulled back two goals late in the game.

Barry Scullion’s first season in charge of Marist has been successful, with nine wins, four losses and one draw. The team scored a league-high 54 goals over those 14 games and took third place. Scullion said finishing in the top three had been the team’s goal for the season. He was confident most of the team would be back in 2020.

Scullion put his faith in youth this season, with 14-year-old Georgie Furnell the youngest player to debut for the side.

Marist had to get dispensation for her to play, as the minimum age for W-league football is 15.

Scullion said Georgie and Abby Rankin, 15, had been among some of the most impressive players in the squad and they could hold their own against older players with more experience. ‘‘They were up against some very experienced players ... They are eager to improve.’’

Two players from the team – Charlotte Lancaster and Jana Niedermayr – have also been selected for a New Zealand Football under-17s camp in October.

Wellington United took out the W-league title on Saturday, with Wairarapa United coming home in second place.

Scullion’s next challenge is coaching Central Football’s National Women’s League side.

He will be hoping to turn around the team’s fortunes after they finished last in the competition last year.

Bad weather on Saturday meant two of the remaining women’s Federation League games of the season were postponed. Whanganui and Feilding United managed to play at Wembley Park in Whanganui, with the hosts beating Feilding 9-0.