On the back for a fantastic win last week, the Panthers U8 team struggled a little against a good Knowle U8 Eagles team. We started well scoring first in the match, courtesy of Siya and the team matched energy and performance of previous weeks. Despite not coming away with a win, there was wonderful team spirit from Hargun, Siya, Lily, Jasika, Jasmine and Mihar. Lily was the standout player today with a fantastic work rate. As always, the support was wonderful and the sunny weather helped.

Under 13 Panthers (pictured) were away to Central Ajax. Panthers pretty much controlled the game from start to finish. There was a wonderful hat-trick from Rose who was exceptional in midfield controlling both attacks and defence well. Lizzie, Anayah and Hannah also managed to get on the score sheet. The defenders in Avani and Ekham made sure the back row was solid. On the occasions the ball did go through, Orna was well alert to any danger and had a fantastic game. Mankirat continued her recent goal scoring with a good follow up effort for the Panthers to win 7-1.

Under 14 Panthers lost 1-3 away to Leamington Lions. The Panthers took the lead in the first half and dominated the play but couldn’t find the second goal to kill the game off. 3 opportunities fell to the hosts who converted all of them. The girls battled well all over the pitch but came away wondering how they’d lost.

SATURDAY – BOYS

GNP Under 12 Tigers were playing away at Upper Lighthorne and started the game very sluggish which led to them going a goal down very early in the game. GNP struggled to create chances however, somehow managed a quick brace of goals through Muhamadou and Faris to go into HT with a lead. Second half, GNP found a different gear with both Muhamadou and Josiah completing hat tricks. Final score 7-2.

The Under 9 Pumas played an away match against St. Peters Celtic and started strong from the whistle. They dominated the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities, with Kandes and Harvey both hitting the post. The defence played a crucial role, making strong tackles and delivering precise passes to the attackers. Midway through the half, Musa broke the deadlock with a clinical finish. Despite continued pressure and multiple chances, the opposing keeper kept the scoreline close. The second half mirrored the first, with the Pumas maintaining control. They struck the post and crossbar again before Musa found space to score his second goal. The team held firm defensively, with Kandes making crucial saves to secure a clean sheet. POTM: Nirvair, for his outstanding tackling and passing at the back, displaying superb confidence throughout the game.

Under 9 Jaguars played against Hillmorton in a great match on Saturday. The Jaguars started on the attack and Agam opened the scoring with an assist from Raylan. The opposition then started on the counter and with a couple of goals they took the lead. Just before the half Jake scored to put us level & Dhanveer made a late save which maintained parity at half time. Second half, Hillmorton came out attacking and our defence played superbly to stop them from coming through. Angad then played a through ball to Raylan from which he was able to give the Jaguars the lead. Hillmorton were awarded a free kick which they put away to draw level but Jaguars kept pressing and did not give up. Some great play by our attacking trio, ( Jake, Agam and Raylan) , Raylan scoring the crucial Jaguars winner. It was a great defensive display by Nico, Anshveer, Manveer and Amarvir. Anshveer was awarded Player of the Match for his great display in defence in the game and showing a never-say-die attitude. It was a great game enjoyed by all and boys did well to bounce back from a negative result just two weeks ago.

Under 9 Lions played in a thrilling match against Kineton that all fans thoroughly enjoyed. We had a very strong start to the game where the boys pressed from the off. Their efforts were rewarded through a goal from Nikhil before a couple of lapses in concentration meant we were behind at half time. The Lions never gave up and had more than enough opportunities to score. Player of the match Fakhir performed a pivotal role directing the plays. After collecting the ball outside the box and side stepping the defenders, Fakhir placed a superb shot in the bottom corner. In a similar fashion, Sahib also netted a great shot just before the final whistle to win the game. Encouraging to see the Lions passing and moving, especially in the first half.

Under 8 Pumas played away against Alvis Colts. It was a sunny day and we had a full squad against a team that we hadn’t played before. We had a tentative start but broke the deadlock from an indirect free kick. From then on, we controlled the game really well, neutralising their attacks with some great defensive and goalkeeping displays. We were also clinical going forward, in terms of forward passes and great wing play, resulting in four different goalscorers with Jodhbeer, Dayal, Mavin and Jeevan. It was a great result and another confidence boost for the boys!

Under 8 Jaguars bounced back from a tough result last week to overcome Coventrians Phoenix in a high scoring, physical game. Isaac was named PotM and goal contributions came from Isaac (3), Shaan (2), Theo (2), Varun (2), Mithun (1) & Oryn (1). Well done boys!

GNP Under 8 Tigers were defeated against Coventry Copsewood an exhilarating game. GNP started the game well and took the lead and produced some great goals (Bishoy x2, Gurshaan and Kurren x2) however the performance dropped late in the game which led to a flurry of goals for Copsewood. Jibreel was POTM with an excellent performance in goal.

Under 8 Lions

The Under 7 Lions came into the Trophy event on the back of 3 consecutive wins, so the boys came into the first game against Panjab Athletic full of energy and positive spirit. The boys picked up where they left off last week racing into an early lead. Thomas was everywhere – he found himself blocking shots, then dribbling the ball out of defence. The 2nd half was much of the same Luca produced great skill on the left wing skipping past players twice his size to get the Lions up the pitch. Jagraaj showed great physical strength on the right wing driving at opposition every chance he got. Dhillan and Thomas helped the Lions see out the victory with a couple of goals in the second half. The second game against Exhall was a tight first 10 mins with Kiaan showing great awareness to press high up which allowed Theo to score a great goal putting the Lions ahead. Some amazing last ditch blocks by Thomas kept the game even. The second half things changed Elliott as always was solid as a rock at the heart of the defence it just wasn’t the Lions second half with Exhall going on to get the victory and qualify from this round robin group. The boys as always showed so much effort and commitment. A great test for the young lions and they came through it really well – coaches and parents are extremely proud!

Under 7 Tigers

Our new GNP Under 6s have been making waves since playing their 1st friendlies just before Xmas. They came up against their biggest test this weekend with a friendly against SoccerRockz Spartans and it proved to be quite the contest! 2 fantastic little teams both giving it their all and going blow for blow. GNP took the lead from a fine run and finish by Ali, and it stayed that way for some time. In the 2nd half SoccerRockz hit back with an equaliser and then quickly added a 2nd. GNP showed great character to then flip the game on its head again. Joban tapped in the rebound from Ali's saved shot before Ali scored a carbon copy of his 1st goal to edge GNP ahead again. The final goal came with 2 mins left from a long range effort from the skilful Spartans attacker and the game appropriately ended all square! A fun penalty shoot out at the end showed the level of talent on show with some superbly struck spot kicks and some spectacular saves too. Well done to both teams!!

SUNDAY – BOYS

Under 10 Tigers played their second & final trophy event group game at home, against Lillington Magpies. After winning last week, the Tigers went in high on confidence. The early morning start didn't suit us this week, starting sluggish and allowing the away side to break through the middle to open the scoring in the first 10mins. The Tigers started to grow into the game and chances started to come, Harrison equalised after taking on a few players just before HT. In the second half the Tigers were asked play with more determination and win the 50/50s. Sohan dropped into defence to help the build up play, Harrison scored two quick fire goals, and suddenly, the Tigers were cruising. The away side barely had a shot on goal in the second half, Harrison grabbed a 4th, another fine solo effort, before the away side scored a soft goal with a rare strike. In the end, deserving victory, PotM went to Sohan for his desire in the second half, which really pushed the Tigers on to dominate. Hans also impressed in defence along with Harrison upfront with his clinical finishing. This win put GNP top of their group and saw them qualify for the semi finals next weekend!

Tier 4 GNP Under 9 Tigers visited tier 3 Alvis Colts in the Trophy Event and it proved a great match to watch between the local rivals. What seemed to be a slow start with both teams attacking without any goals, but the Tigers breathed life into the game when Josiah took a corner and Arveer slotted it in with a lightning quick shot on the half volley. Sadly a lack of concentration in the subsequent minute cost the Tigers an immediate equaliser. The Tigers were still hungry and would take another dozen shots coming from Joshiah, Joban, Rajan, Arveer, Salman and Ollie. We saw some excellent saves from Jacob and brilliant defence from Arveer which earned him a well deserved POTM. At the end of the game we had a nail-biting penalty shootout, where the teams again went blow for blow until Alvis edged ahead at the end. All in all, it was a great comeback match for the Tigers on a beautiful sunny Sunday.

GNP Under 13 Tigers visited Coventrians on a bright Sunday lunchtime keen to get back on track in the League after some narrow defeats in recent weeks. Preparations for the game were far from ideal with illness and injury rife in the squad. The game also started badly when Coventrians broke through the middle to score early. GNP hit back when a 20 yard free kick was superbly floated in over the keeper by Saavun. Soon after, Harshaan picked up a loose ball from a Coventrians goal kick and drove through 3 challenges before slotting it past the keeper to make it 2-1. It was a dominant period through to half time but the boys were unable to add to the scoreline. In the 2nd half GNP scored their 3rd when good work by Harman B on the edge of the area saw him square the ball perfectly for Emmanuel who took a touch and the finished clinically. Coach Jat rung some positional changes, but it saw GNP lose their shape momentarily and they were punished when the striker was played onside and slotted the ball past stand-in keeper, Harman S. Things could have got frenetic at this stage but thankfully GNP put the game away when Aarun S rose to get his head on Cinar's corner. It was an awkward looking header, but the contact was solid and the ball looped over the despairing dive of the keeper and in off the post! Final score 2-4 and an important 3 points to give the boys a timely confidence boost!

GNP Pumas Under 11 vs Whitnash Wanderers. In their 2nd trophy event game, Pumas initially took some time to get into the game, conceding an early free kick from which Whitnash took the lead. The game was back and forward with Pumas having chances to score through Lekan and Ruben. Eventually a goal followed; a great pass from Kian to Maaven which Maaven struck home to beat the keeper. At the back Jovan made some great tackles to stop Whitnash from scoring. With the Pumas continuing to push forward, they lost the ball from which Whitnash took advantage and got their second goal of the game. 2nd half Pumas came out stronger, creating chance after chance. GNP’s second goal arrived after a cross from Lekan which saw Ziyyad arrive late in the box and volley the ball in. Towards the end of the second half Whitnash applied a little pressure but the Pumas stood firm. From a late counter attack, a slick ball crossed to Jaiden which he hit at speed but it went agonisingly over goal. The game finished all square but the Pumas should be proud of their performance, especially in a dominant 2nd half!

Under 11 Lions were up against Grove Farm Lions in their tough Trophy Event group. Grove Farm have a reputation of being a fantastic footballing team and it was going to be a tough game. GNP rose to the occasion and in a very even first half, both teams were playing really well and it was a great footballing battle. Despite a few scares at both ends of the pitch, the first half ended goalless. The 2nd half was more of the same, until 15 minutes into the half, a long range effort from Grove Farm put them ahead. In a 7 minute spell, the visitors added 3 more goals, to take a commanding lead. GNP carried on with their tough tackling and good football and found a consolation through Kyle. All in all, a fantastic game of football and GNP can hold their heads high, despite the loss.

Coventry Copsewood Lions hosted GNP Under 11 Tigers in a tough outing for the Tigers. Despite a bright start, the Tigers struggled to maintain momentum, eventually falling to a well-drilled opponent in a game they could have won. The match began positively for the Tigers, with Jude showcasing his finishing ability, scoring two brilliantly taken goals to give his team an early advantage. However, a lapse in concentration allowed Copsewood to hit back quickly with two goals of their own, shifting the momentum in their favour. The home side then capitalised on their pressure, netting two more before the break, leaving the Tigers trailing at halftime. The second half saw more of the same, with Copsewood continuing to press and eventually adding two more well-worked goals. Despite the scoreline, the Tigers showed resilience and found a response through Majid, who timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap and finished clinically in a 1v1 situation, placing the ball into the corner of the net. Though the late surge gave the Tigers hope, time ran out, and Copeswood secured the win. It was a game the Tigers could have won had they maintained their early intensity and focus. A difficult result, but valuable lessons learned as they look to bounce back stronger in their next match.

GNP Under 16s visited A Division high flyers Coventry Phoenix in the semi final of the League Cup, after a superb cup run to date. Unfortunately it proved a step too far and the boys missed out on what would have been a history-making final appearance, following a 6-1 result in favour of Phoenix. The boys should be proud of making it this far, and can now focus solely on their League title bid.