Another jam-packed week of action at GNP Sports FC, with some impressive performances again across the board. Special shout outs to our three girls teams in action, who secured a clean sweep of victories in cup and league! Also our newly formed Under 14 Pumas, who collected a vital and momentous first league win of the season! The Under 12 boys were in 2nd round League Cup action and we saw both our Pumas and Tigers progress to the next round, whilst the following teams all continued their amazing unbeaten starts to the league season: Under 13 Tigers, Under 14 Panthers, Under 14 Tigers, Under 13 Pumas and Under 7 Tigers. Well Done to everybody!!

SATURDAY – MEN’S

GNP Men’s team took a break from League action with a Stockton Cup tie against Balsall Hornets. Despite taking a 1st half lead, GNP were pegged back to 2-2 at Full Time, and ended up losing out 4-1 in the penalty shootout.

SATURDAY – GIRLS

Under 14 Panthers were hosting Shamrock. Panthers were on the front foot straight away and could’ve been 2 up within 5 minutes with early chances. Shamrock managed to break out of their own half with a couple of shots however Orna and the Panthers defence were up to the job. A corner delivered by Rose was defended and came out to Anayah who managed to score an absolute rocket from just inside the box. 1-0 heading into half time and the game evenly poised. A quick team talk about keeping up the pressure and not letting Shamrock back into it was bang on point. Panthers came out and attacked straight away. Next goal for the Panthers came from another corner. The ball bounced around within the box before Jah’Dae with her quick feet managed to grab a goal from a smart volley. Shamrock continued to try and push higher however this left more gaps in their defence and Mankirat took full advantage taking her chance to score. Well done to the Panthers who continue their fine form with a 3-0 win.

It was an exciting morning of football as GNP Under 11 Panthers took on Kenilworth Town Panthers in a cup tie that showcased GNP’s teamwork, determination, and plenty of goals. GNP stamped their authority on the game early on with an outstanding first-half performance. Playing uphill in the opening half, GNP wasted no time asserting control. Within the first five minutes, Roop opened the scoring with a composed finish that set the tone for the match. The attacking pressure continued, and soon after, Rhea provided a pinpoint assist for Roop’s second goal — a beautiful example of teamwork and timing. Roop was unstoppable, completing her hat-trick midway through the half with another clinical strike. GNP’s relentless attacking play didn’t stop there. With great drive forward and battling from from Jodh, Avani, Prema and Avneet, Anaiya came close with a powerful effort on target, and when the Kenilworth keeper parried her shot, Avani was perfectly positioned to tap home, adding to the growing tally. The first-half dominance was rounded off by yet another Roop goal, her fourth of the match, putting GNP firmly in control as they headed into the break. 2nd half, GNP continued their fine form — this time with the advantage of playing downhill. Within minutes of the restart, Anaiya found the net with a confident finish to extend the lead. Then came one of the highlights of the match: a fantastic pass from Anya on the left wing that found Anaiya, who coolly slotted home her 2nd of the game from close range. Roop added yet another goal to her impressive tally, and from a perfectly delivered corner by Lily, Rhea found space in the box to fire home another goal with precision. Moments later, Avneet joined the scoresheet with a smart finish, capping off another flowing move. Kenilworth Town refused to give up and were rewarded with a well-taken goal of their own after a spell of pressure. A free kick from Lily narrowly missed the target, before Rhea sealed the result, pouncing on a loose ball after an excellent interception to score her 2nd of the match. When the final whistle blew, it was a comprehensive and confident victory for GNP U11 Panthers, built on teamwork, creativity, and relentless energy. Every player contributed to a memorable performance!

The Under 9 Panthers (pictured) played a thrilling home cup tie against Stratford Town, showing real teamwork and determination from start to finish. The game began brightly, with Siya opening the scoring through a superb right-footed strike that flew into the bottom corner. Soon after, Abi doubled the lead with a composed close-range finish. The Panthers continued to link up beautifully, and Jasmine added a third before half-time, giving the team a strong advantage at the break. Early in the second half, Abi struck again to extend the lead, keeping the momentum firmly with the Panthers. In goal, Shreya was outstanding — calm under pressure and making several crucial saves to keep Stratford at bay. Although Stratford fought back with two goals in the second half, the Panthers stayed disciplined and determined, holding on to secure a well-deserved cup victory. It was another fantastic performance full of teamwork, resilience, and growing confidence — a joy to see the team’s continued development!

SATURDAY – BOYS

Under 13 GNP Tigers visited Sporting Rugby , with GNP looking to continue their fantastic start to the season. Both teams came out the blocks very well, with Sporting posing the bigger threat. But it was GNP that broke the deadlock and turned on the style going into the break 5-1 up. The energy levels in the team were very high with all three strikers getting goals. The boys continued the momentum into the second half scoring a further 4 goals. All three strikers Josiah Jones, MD and Deepak scoring hat tricks but the day belonged to Deepak for getting his first hatrick for the team in his debut season. Final score 1-9 to GNP.

The GNP Under 10 Jaguars put in a strong performance in a thrilling draw against SBitC. From the first whistle, the Jaguars showed great attacking intent, with excellent link-up play between Angad, Anshveer, and Reggie. Their teamwork paid off when Reggie opened the scoring with a well-taken goal and was unlucky not to add another shortly after. Sky Blues equalised with a superb half-volley from a cross — a strike that gave our keeper no chance. Despite the setback, the boys stayed positive and continued to push hard for a winner, showing great determination and teamwork throughout. A special mention goes to Agam, who made several outstanding saves in both halves to keep us in the game which earned him Player of the match from both his coach and parents. Overall, a great team effort full of energy, creativity, and spirit.

The Under 10 Pumas faced Leek Wootton away and started strongly, controlling possession with some slick passing sequences. Midway through the first half, a brilliant pass from the flank found Harvey, who struck a superb shot from outside the box to give the Pumas the lead. As the half went on, Leek Wootton began to create more chances, but Eric (Player of the Match) pulled off a series of outstanding saves to keep the Pumas ahead. Unfortunately, just before the half time whistle, the hosts managed to equalize, sending the teams level into the break. The second half was a thrilling, end-to-end contest with both sides pushing hard for the advantage. Leek Wootton edged ahead with a goal, but the Pumas responded with renewed energy. Harvey grabbed his second of the game to bring things level once again, while Eric continued his heroics in goal with crucial one-on-one saves right up to the final whistle. A great, resilient team performance from the Pumas — full of effort, determination, and skill.

Under 10 Lions were hosted by Upper Lighthorne Spitfires in a closely fought game. The Lions delivered a spirited performance this weekend, full of energy, teamwork, and attacking intent. Despite an early setback from a goalmouth fumble in the sixth minute, the boys responded with confidence—dominating possession and keeping Lighthorne pinned in their own half. Kswaery, Nikhil, Veer and Manroop all carved out chances at goal, with sharp passing and clever movement creating openings throughout the match. The breakthrough came in the second half when Fakhir calmly finished to level the game after sustained pressure. The momentum stayed with the Lions, with Sahib coming agonisingly close to adding another after a dazzling run. Late drama saw Lighthorne edge ahead from a scramble in the box, but the Lions never stopped pushing. It was a game full of positives, and the team’s effort and attitude were top class throughout. PotM went to Nikhil, for his tireless work up and down the wing—always creating space and driving the team forward.

The Under 9 Jaguars hosted Kenilworth Raptors at Finham. The game kicked off at a steady pace, with both teams feeling each other out. It was evenly matched until Isaac decided enough was enough—smashing in a “top bins” screamer from outside the box. The second half saw some formation shifts and the boys really got running. Wing play was electric, passing was sharp, and the goals kept coming: Bobby and Theo both found the net with classy finishes fed in by some slick wing play and pinpoint passing, and an own goal added to the tally. Seva was kept busy in goal as the Raptors fought to get back in it, but his saves and kicks kept us in control. Defensively, the team held strong. We conceded a couple, but it could’ve been more without the tireless tracking and smart positioning across the back line from Varun and Stan. The forward passing was a joy to watch—confident, creative, and always looking to unlock space. Isaac was POTM, such great passing, tackles and leadership, all on his birthday too!!

GNP Under 8 Tigers faced Firefighters and secured their first victory of the season. Despite a strong start and good team play the boys went a goal down after their player broke through 2 tackles and pinged a lovely shot into the top corner. Last year the Tigers played out a tough draw with this team including a freak drop kick goal that bounced 10 feet over Lucas and dropped in off the crossbar. They tried the same trick and Lucas parried the ball and then dived on it, under pressure, to keep GNP in the game. Undeterred by the earlier setback, the team hit back and created multiple chances before Rhys split the defence apart with a killer pass and Akram slotted home. Firefighters regained the lead before half time after a corner kick. The 2nd half started like the first with strong team play and a lovely run and cross from Taran, led to Rhys grabbing a goal from a tight angle. Never content with one, Taran and Rhys linked up again for a 2nd that needed Rhys to power through two defenders before squeezing the shot in and taking the boys into the last quarter leading for the first time. Firefighters started this period fast and quickly drew level. Milkias epitomised the team’s pressing, forcing their defender into his own box, which allowed Akram to poke home the winner! Some resolute defending saw the boys hold on and seal the game. A magnificent performance that saw every player produce their best performance to date and delivered a well-deserved result for all the hard work they have been putting in consistently.

Under 8 Lions vs Sporting Rugby Raiders. After a splendid performance last week, the Lions came into the game full of confidence and started strongly, taking an early lead with a fantastic top-corner finish. Sporting Raiders responded quickly, and for the first time this season, the Lions were really tested at the back, having to defend bravely against a strong and well-organised side. Despite a few moments of bad luck going against them, the boys gave everything in their efforts to get back into the game. The Raiders eventually secured the win, but the Lions never looked out of their depth and pushed themselves to new levels. On another day, the result could have easily gone the other way. The team showed great spirit, determination, and the fight we see from them every single week. Coaches and parents are incredibly proud of how far these young Lions have come—and there’s still so much more to come from this fantastic group!

Under 7 Tigers took on Rugby Borough Tigers at home. GNP got off to a strong start looking like a well-oiled machine, finding space and making good passes. Yunus, Rehmat and Marsels had some particularly lovely link ups. Unfortunately Marsels took an early kick to the ankle, but this seemed to really fire him up as he showed some great footwork and got himself around defenders to score the only goal of the 1st quarter. The 2nd quarter carried on much as the first with David coming on and showing his relentless desire to win the ball and help cover the pitch. Rehmat ran onto a lovely Joban through ball, stayed cool as a cucumber and slotted the ball into the net. Marsels scored two more for his hat trick - one from outside the box, and another from a penalty. The 3rd quarter was a long and scrappy one; the boys seemed to be complacent and Rugby Borough broke through twice and scored each time. GNP recognised this and got their energy back on the pitch and the quarter saw two more goals from Rehmat, and one goal each for Uday and Joban (a superb individual effort). In the final quarter the boys were looking confident and having fun. Some of our players saw this as an opportunity to see how far they could run with the ball, not the best for showing our teamwork, but did demonstrate how strong they are as individuals. Uday got the final goal of the match following his own kick-in. Cameron took home Player of the Match for his great denying of space, marking of players, and nearly getting a goal from a corner (again!).

Under 7 Lions hosted SoccerRockz Vikings; Lions were led by their captain of the week, Tommy. The Vikings started off strongly with an early goal. However, shortly after, the Lions countered with some good pressure from Gian to create an equaliser for the Lions. Aathi, Shivaay, and Lucas did well in trying to keep to the team shape. The Vikings to their credit stuck to their game plan, moving the ball around using the pitch, and the goals started to follow for the Vikings, creating a comfortable lead at half time. In the second half of the game, the Lions started fast as Gian scored the Lions' second goal. However, the number of opportunities for the Vikings continued. Aarav did great for the final quarter in goal. Harvansh chased every ball, putting in a tremendous shift. Mikey and Tommy led the line well, trying to find the back of the net. Lots of lessons to take away, but a great effort by the team against strong opponents.

SUNDAY – BOYS

GNP Under 17s hosted Warwick Juniors Falcons U17s. After a slow start we gifted the visitors a 2 goal lead through a penalty and some open defending at the back. But the boys didn’t drop their heads, we worked hard and created chances, managing to get one back before the break. Captain Archie B with some outstanding work rate, chasing a loose ball, taking it round their defender and winning himself a pen, which was calmly slotted home. We started the second half well and the momentum was with us until a couple of lapses in concentration at the back led to Warwick capitalising and going 4-1 up. We kept fighting, and some brilliant footwork by Dyl led to him calmly slotting it through the keeper’s legs making it 4-2. The boys kept pushing for another goal, holding their shape well, but today wasn’t our day, the visitors managing to put the game away with a last minute goal. Finished as a 5-2 loss. Regardless of result, the boys put in a top performance and matched an unbeaten side for the majority of the game. If we continue to work for each other, and play as we are playing, we are confident that our luck will change and the +3’s will start flooding in.

GNP Under 14 Pumas hosted Stockton and came out 5-3 winners! GNP started strong, but within 5 minutes, Stockton scored. 10 minutes later, with great forward pressure, GNP was awarded a free kick outside the box. George crossed the ball into the box, and it was headed into the goal by one of their players. With GNP dominating play and good movement, Corbyn broke loose and scored a great goal. Stockton was getting more frustrated, shown vocally and physically, but as play went on, GNP's Eni scored twice late into the first half. Just before half time, GNP's heads went down, and Stockton scored 2 late goals to reduce the half time deficit to 4-3. Another great team talk at half time, and with great team spirit, GNP came out fighting and showed incredible strength. Late into the game Stockton was awarded a penalty. Thankfully the ball was powered skywards over the bar. With GNP passing the ball like Brazil, Arjun rose to the occasion late on and scored a critical goal to settle the nerves, sealing a great team effort and a fully deserved first competitive win for this newly formed team! Go on Lads!!

Under 14 Tigers visited Coventrians in hot form, but short of several key players, forcing Harshaan to step in as stand-in keeper for the first time! It was a difficult pitch which played its part in the game being quite scrappy for long periods, but thankfully GNP settled into an early lead. Muhamadou’s 3rd minute solo run led to a shot which was brilliantly saved by the keeper but the save unluckily ricocheted off the defender and flew straight into the net. Dylan, coming up against his previous team, then sent a through ball into Muhamadou, who cleverly rounded the keeper and slotted calmly into the empty net. Aarun S led the GNP defence brilliantly with strong tackling and composure on the ball in the 1st half until he had to go off briefly with a facial injury. This brought on sub, Cinar, who made an immediate impact with a long range free kick floated into the far post, where Saavun had all the time in the world to poke the ball in for a 0-3 half time lead, his 5th goal in 4 games from wing back! 2nd half Cinar then added 2 goals to his impressive cameo, the first set up following superb work by Dylan. These goals sandwiched a well taken goal from Aaron D (his first of the season), set up by our PotM, Oscar. Well done Tigers – looking absolutely ruthless right now, with no goals conceded so far since the start of the season

Under 14 Lions visited table-toppers Brinklow Falcons in the fog, expecting a tough battle, but confident nevertheless, following a decisive home victory last Sunday. Brinklow started sharply and took a deserved lead. But after 8 mins some sharp pressing up front led to a miskick from the Falcons keeper which landed at the feet of Sahib around 25 yards out. Sahib set himself and sidefooted the ball first time, into the unguarded net! The front 3 of Mario, flanked by Harry and Sahib, started to link up brilliantly, and it was these 3 players who combined around 10 mins later to deliver a stunning team move, which started at the back and ultimately led to a goal of the season contender. Mario received the ball from his midfield in the centre of the pitch, he turned and spread a superb ball out wide into the path of Sahib, who again ran onto the ball and sidefooted it first time, this time across the face of goal into the path of Harry, who took a touch and finished coolly past the keeper. A shock 2-1 lead but completely deserved & GNP held onto this advantage until half time. 2nd half saw a steady opening 10 mins but GNP were undone when a corner was curled in and evaded Daniel’s punch and several Lions defenders before dropping into the net without a touch. Again, GNP regrouped at 2-2, but then we saw a calamitous 4 minute spell, starting at 53 mins, where Brinklow broke through and scored 3 goals in quick succession. A mixture of fitness issues and drops in concentration saw Brinklow beat the offside trap time after time to effectively put the game to bed. GNP tried to fight back late on but it wasn’t to be, with Brinklow curling in a 6th goal late on. Final score 6-2. Lions PotM was Aaron, who started well and was one of the few who maintained his performance levels when things went awry in the 2nd half.

2nd in the table, Under 13 Pumas were entertaining 3rd place CTK Rovers. Right from the off, Pumas were in complete control, making a mockery of the 2 teams’ proximity in the league table. GNP took the lead after 4 minutes through Evan who was assisted by Pumas talisman, Armaan. CTK temporarily applied some pressure on the Pumas defence and were denied an equaliser by an impressive save by the Pumas GK, Harrison. Pumas added 3 more goals to take a 4-0 lead into the half time interval with further goals from Armaan, and Nathan scoring twice. Pumas went goal crazy in the 2nd half, hitting a further 7 past CTK, goal’s from Nathan * 3, Armaan, Evan, Aiden, and Arun. Outstanding team effort by the Pumas today, lots of impressive passing and movement off the ball. Player of the match performance from Armaan, who not only scored twice but added several assists to his performance today.

The Under 12 Tigers hosted Christ The King Blue in the League Cup and put in one of their most dominant performances of the season — despite having no subs available. From the first whistle, the Tigers were on the front foot, playing fast, attacking football and spending the majority of the game camped in the opposition half. The boys moved the ball brilliantly, creating chance after chance and forcing the CTK goalkeeper into a string of outstanding saves. The number of shots on target easily went into double figures, with the Tigers showing relentless attacking intent. The breakthrough finally came in the second half, when Nivishan’s dangerous corner delivery caused chaos in the box and ended up finding its way directly into the goal — a well-deserved reward for the team’s hard work and persistence. As expected, the opposition pushed forward late in the game, but the Tigers stood strong defensively, showing great discipline and teamwork to see out the win and progress to the next round of the cup. Every single player gave everything for the team and can be proud of a fantastic all-round performance marked by determination, effort, and togetherness. *Player of the Match:* Nivishan – for a superb display and the decisive moment that secured the win.

Under 12 Pumas played Coventrians, also in League Cup 2nd round action. It was a dominant display from the Puma's as they stormed to a 9–1 victory, showcasing fluid attacking play and clinical finishing throughout the match. The tone was set early when Lekan opened the scoring straight from kick-off with a brilliant individual goal. The team quickly built on the momentum — a flowing move involving Ruben, Faris, and Ziyaad ended with the latter finishing neatly for 0–2. Moments later, Ziyaad turned provider, setting up Lekan for his 2nd and the team’s 3rd goal. The pressure continued as Lekan teed up Jaiden for 0–4, before goalkeeper Sam made an excellent save to preserve the lead. Not long after, a long goal kick from Sam released Lekan, who completed his hat-trick to make it 0–5 before half-time. The 2nd half began with a brief lapse at the back, allowing the opposition to pull one back, but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed. Jaxx calmly converted a penalty to restore the five-goal cushion and Faris cleared danger from a free kick before turning provider again — finding Lekan for his 4th. Faris then got on the scoresheet himself before Shivan set up Lekan to round off the scoring at 1–9. It was an outstanding team performance marked by sharp link-up play, unselfish assists, and decisive finishing. Lekan led the line brilliantly with 5 goals, while Faris and Ziyaad provided excellent support in attack.

Under 12 Lions were in cup action against Div A rivals Alvis. It was always going to be a tough ask, with a depleted squad because of injuries, players missing and our regular keeper missing, so we had to use an outfield player in goals. It proved to be the case, with Alvis scoring 6 in the first half. 2nd half, the Lions were much more competitive with some good passing football and despite Alvis scoring 2 further goals, a much more pleasing performance. Player of the match went to Rajan. We go again next week!

Under 11 Tigers played their first league game of the season away against Lillington Juniors. Playing without their no 1 goalkeeper, the team knew they had to start solid at the back. Unfortunately the home side started quick out of the blocks, scoring a few a goals which took the wind out of the Tigers. The first half was one to forget with 6 goals conceded and only a few good chances created. After the break the Tigers defended with more intensity all over the pitch, they were rewarded with 5 goals of their own, 4 for Harry and one for Kiaan. It was a great 2nd half performance but unfortunately we came up short overall. Robert was superb in defence, worked tirelessly and kept his winger quiet. PotM however went to Harry, who also put in an energetic display and capped it off with 4 very well taken goals and was instrumental in Kiaan's goal. A few things to work on, but in parts, a very pleasing performance.

Under 10 Tigers

On a cold and foggy Sunday morning, the Under 9 Pumas were at home to Panjab Athletic. We got off to a very slow start and were undone as the opposition got behind our back-line, twice. However, we changed the system around and pushed our boys forward, which led to Hugh, Rehaan and Guransh scoring in quick succession to give us the lead. Unfortunately, we conceded late on but absorbed the attack and stayed strong, resulting in a draw. All of our boys tried their best and really took the game to the opposition and we were unlucky not to get all the points, but it was a great match and we’re very proud of the whole team.

GNP Under 9 Tigers put in a spirited performance against Coventry Phoenix in a thrilling match. Phoenix took the lead with the first shot of the game, but the Tigers hit back quickly. Yotam showed brilliant control to bring down a high ball before setting up Gurshaan, who rounded the keeper to equalise. The defence worked hard, and the first quarter ended with Phoenix narrowly ahead. The Tigers dominated much of the second quarter with strong attacking play and great teamwork but couldn’t find a way through. In the third quarter, a cross from Yahya caused confusion in the Phoenix box and bounced off a defender to level the score. Bishoy defended bravely from a Phoenix corner, but another goal saw Phoenix edge ahead by the end of the quarter. In the final quarter, Jibreel made several brave saves to keep the Tigers in the game. The team pushed hard for an equaliser but couldn’t quite finish their chances. It was an impressive effort from all the players, showing real determination and teamwork. Player of the Match: Yotam for his excellent control, vision, and creativity