After a week off for many of our teams, we returned with a bang, with some superb performances across the club. Special mentions to our Under 7 Tigers and Lions teams, who both continued their superb starts to their 1st ever season! Our Under 9 Jaguars are on a 5 match winning streak whilst our Under 12 Lions picked up their first league victory of the season as they settle into their first season in a ruthless Division A! Our Under 17s team upset 2nd placed Leamington in the Youth League, whilst the Under 14 Tigers (pictured) blew away their title rivals in stunning fashion on Sunday!

SATURDAY – GIRLS

GNP Under 12 Panthers made the trip to Leafield on Saturday in the Girls Open Cup. After a scrappy 15 minutes GNP started to get on top and came close to breaking the deadlock twice with Faith running in behind defenders and forcing a great save from the keeper and her other effort whistling past the post from the angle. Avneet came close, side-footing wide after a nice cross from Suvreet. 0-0 at the break. 2nd half was like the first and very scrappy for the opening 10 minutes until Avneet broke free on the left and scored from the angle. Panthers looked like they had a second after Faith got a foot to a goalmouth scramble but the ball was adjudged to be half in and half out. Panthers then nearly got the 2nd goal through Patience after breaking into the box well but sending her shot just wide. With two minutes remaining Leafield equalised cruelly and against the run of play to take it to a penalty shoot-out. Unfortunately GNP went out 4-2 on spot kicks. Nevertheless, a very good team effort from the Panthers.

The Under 9 Panthers got off to a strong start against a high-energy CCC side. Siya opened the scoring with a fantastic early goal, setting the tone for a competitive game. The girls showed great determination throughout, battling hard across the pitch. Despite going behind on two occasions, the team showed resilience, drawing level both times with further goals from Siya and Mihar. Siya scoring a hat-trick and Mihar scoring two. In defence, Lily worked tirelessly alongside Shreya, who made several crucial stops to keep the Panthers in the game. Although the match ended in a narrow defeat, the team displayed some excellent movement and created several promising chances. A spirited performance full of positives to build on.

SATURDAY – BOYS

Under 7 Tigers took on Rugby Borough Lions. The boys kept us on the edge of our seats during the first 5 minutes with a couple of unforced errors until they settled in and started working together. There were some great link ups with Marsels, Rehmat and David. Marsels gave a lovely assist to Rehmat who tapped the ball past the goalkeeper. Marsels also got himself a goal using his footwork to get past a defender and then past the keeper into the bottom corner. The 2nd quarter was strong from both sides and a little physical. The boys held their own and went in goalless a lot of fight and energy. GNP really got into their flow in the 3rd quarter. After we conceded a penalty, David made a spectacular save against all odds. Marsels, Uday and Tobias all got on the scoresheet, with Uday’s being a particularly powerful long range shot from the left. In the final quarter Uday in defense showed us his speed and determination to get the ball which helped keep out the hosts. Cameron and Tobias did a great job of tracking up and down the pitch to help the team. Goals came from Uday, Tobias and Joban who had put himself in the right place throughout the game, and finally got his well deserved goal. Player of the Match went to Marsels, who not only showed amazing skill on the ball and sheer grit and determination, but also demonstrated incredible support for his teammates on and off the pitch which is what we love to see. The Under 7 Tigers remain undefeated in the top division League campaign.

GNP Under 7 Lions hosted SoccerRockz Triumph Hawks this Saturday. Hawks scored the opening goal following a miscommunication between the Lions' goalkeeper and defender. The Lions, captained by Lucas today, did not change their game plan, continued to pass the ball to use the whole pitch, which paid off when Gian found himself through on goal and coolly finished. The Hawks goalkeeper made a number of brilliant first half saves. However, Gian found the back of the net again, giving the Lions a narrow lead. Just before half time, the Hawks scored a superb goal to make things all square. In the third quarter, Jeevan restored the Lions' lead, having done fantastically well in winning the ball back. The Lions were looking for a decisive goal to widen the lead, Lucas, Gian and Jeevan's distribution, creativity and drive was excellent as the Lions were determined to widen their lead. The Hawks goalkeeper put in a PotM performance to keep the Lions out. In the final quarter, it was the Hawks who scored next, a long ball found a Hawks player with a lot of time and space to finish, levelling the game again. Aarav, Mikey, Shivaay, and Aathi efforts in defending and offensively were brilliant. With two minutes to go, Mikey scored a winner for the Lions, which sparked some joyous scenes on and off the pitch!

Under 8 Lions vs Soccer Rockz Gladiators. The Lions came up against a really impressive Gladiators side who dominated from the start, scoring some quick early goals. That meant the Lions were able to bring on an extra player for the power play, and they soon began to find their rhythm. Elliott pulled one back with a fantastic free kick to get the Lions on the scoreboard. In goal, Thomas and Evan were both outstanding, pulling off some brilliant saves to keep the scoreline respectable. Despite the tough challenge, every single player showed great spirit and a resilient attitude from start to finish. Player of the Match: Dhillan - playing in a new defensive role, he showed real determination and grit, leading by example and keeping the team motivated.

GNP Under 8 Tigers came up against a big Alvis Eagles team and let a great position slip away from them. Following a trademark slow start, the team got into a groove and controlled the rest of the first half with some nice individual efforts and teamwork including a passing move through the whole team, twice, before the calm finish. Only a shot through the defenders legs and two missed clearances leading to the only Alvis chances that weren't calmly dealt with. Unfortunately, in the 2nd half the squad rotation didn't click as well as it normally does and all the good work from the first half was undone in one unfortunate quarter. Keeping their heads up, the boys pulled the game back in the last quarter but left themselves exposed pushing for a winner and Alvis took the result. The boys gave 100% but the missed training session from this week showed in the performance, and maybe some post-Halloween tiredness got to them at the end. Goal contributions came from Rhys, Akram and Taran forcing an own goal.

The Under 9 Jaguars continued their impressive unbeaten run with a well-earned 3–1 victory against a strong and well-drilled St Peter’s Celtic side. St Peter’s started brightly, putting the Jaguars under early pressure with some fast, attacking play. After a steady opening, the Jaguars began to find their rhythm, and it was Varun who opened the scoring with a fantastic strike from outside the box, following some excellent pressing from the front. The 1st half remained evenly contested, with both teams showing great determination. Goalkeeper Freddie produced a string of outstanding saves — including two that looked certain to find the net — earning recognition from the opposition coach for his efforts. St Peter’s equalised early in the 2nd half, but the Jaguars responded superbly. Emaad restored the lead, reacting quickest to a rebound after a fine save from the keeper, before Bobby added a third with a well-taken strike following strong build-up play through midfield. Defensively, the team was organised and resilient throughout. Theo put in a commanding performance, making crucial tackles and driving forward with purpose. Mithun worked tirelessly on the wing, tracking back effectively and helping to secure the back line in the 2nd half, while Stan made key interceptions late on to help close out the game. Player of the Week went to Leo, whose tireless energy, commitment, and excellent defensive tackles set the tone for the team. Another outstanding all-round performance and a fifth consecutive game unbeaten — great work, Jaguars!

GNP Under 10 Jaguars hosted Firefighters. From the first whistle, we played with great intensity and purpose. We created several chances early on and were unlucky not to score sooner. However, our persistence paid off when Brandon opened the scoring with a well-taken goal, setting the tone for the rest of the match. Brandon’s energy and attitude were outstanding throughout, contributing both in attack and defence, and earning him the Player of the Match award. Our second goal came from Reggie, who finished off an excellent team move to double our lead. The team continued to press and control the game, showing composure and work rate even when chances didn’t immediately go our way. Late in the game, Angad secured the victory with a superb strike into the bottom corner — a fitting way to cap off a strong team performance. A great result and a great performance. Well done to everyone!

SUNDAY – BOYS

The Under 17s were away to Leamington Foundation U17s. We started the game strongly, with Archie W chasing every loose ball and creating some clear cut chances, narrowly missing the target on each occasion. We continued to apply pressure with Archie B through on goal but failing to hit the target. We stayed on top for the 1st half, with notable mention to our back four, all of whom read the game brilliantly and snuffed out any Leamington opportunities. It was a great debut for new signing Eben who brought confidence and calmness to our back line. Second half started 0-0, before Archie B stepped his game up, scoring 3 goals within the space of 15 mins. One of which, a cracking free kick from 25 yards out which floated over the keeper’s outstretched arms. However, in usual fashion, we let our opponents get back into the game. A nervy 15 mins saw the scoreline at 3-2, before Archie W pounced on a second ball after a brilliantly struck free kick from Mr consistent Ethan C. 4-2. Although the home side managed to squeeze in a goal before full time, we dominated the majority of the game against a team sitting 2nd in the table. I could write a paragraph for each of the boys excellent performance today, but as a team we worked for each other, and the 3 points followed. Hopefully this will be a turning point, and we will begin to rise up the table!

Under 14 Tigers went into the top of the table clash away to Brinklow Eagles, 3 points behind, but with 2 games in hand. GNP were in control throughout, with Brinklow largely camped in their own half. 2 goals were disallowed from contentious offside calls but Muhamadou was clinical when he was fed by Enoch’s pass, flying down the right before scoring at the near post. 0-1 at half time. Brinklow’s defence had been stubborn in the 1st half but the relentless Tigers pressure paid off 2nd period as the floodgates opened. Muhamadou was instrumental by completing his hat trick with a superb mazy solo run and finish, and then a thumping header from Saavun’s superb corner. The last 15 minutes was a bit of a procession as Eagles heads dropped, and GNP added 4 further goals through Harman S, Saavun (2) and Oscar with his first of the season. Harman S was influential in a striker role with 3 assists added to his goal, and there were excellent performances all over the pitch once again as the boys produced a statement victory to go top of the table with the superb 100% win record maintained.

Under 14 Lions visited Bedworth United on the massive Oval 3G Pitch. It was not the best of performances, with Bedworth generally seeming hungrier for the ball, and GNP looking very vulnerable through the middle at various stages of the game. Nevertheless GNP took the lead with a well worked goal, Harry ultimately teeing up Mario for the smart finish. Bedworth equalised soon after following a disastrous mix-up at the back and they went on to assert their control with a well taken 2nd goal. A strong team talk at half time, and the boys responded for a period, competing better across the pitch. A GNP equaliser followed with a superb defence splitting pass from Rikhil sending Mario clear to clinically score his 2nd of the game. Unfortunately we let this period of good play slip as the game wore on and Bedworth seemed to be creating easy chances through the middle with the centre of the GNP defence all at sea. Daniel came to the rescue on 2 or 3 occasions with superb saves, but could not do anything to deny Bedworth their 3rd, and then a late 4th goal. GNP still had chances at 2-2 and 3-2 down, but the home team were the deserved winners at the end of the day. Credit today to Mario for his finishing and a direct 2nd half performance on the wing, and to our PoTM Ryan, who was solid in everything he did defensively at right back, despite the team’s overall shortcomings at the back.

Under 14 Pumas

Under 12 Lions were away against Bedworth United. The Lions have had some good recent performances, without getting the results. The Lions started very well and dominated the game from the first whistle, creating plenty of chances. GNP took a deserved lead through Mason, running through and slotting home. The chances kept coming for GNP; after striking the bar twice, Ryan McDermott struck a fantastic free kick, which dipped viciously to find the back of the net. GNP went into half time 0-2 up. GNP continued to create chances in the 2nd half and even though they could not add any further goals, it is pleasing to get a first win of the season - something our recent displays have deserved. It’s been a tough start to life in Div A, hopefully the team can take confidence from this performance and continue to improve and be competitive. Player of the match went to Evan, for a defensive masterclass and starting off many attacks, with some quality through balls from the back.

GNP Under 12 Jaguars 3-0 Stockton Juniors. A great win today for the Jaguars in a dominant performance that probably should have been a bigger scoreline! We controlled the game from start to finish, showing quality all over the pitch. Arjun led the way with two well-taken goals, and Ahmed added a deserved third after hitting the bar and forcing several good saves. Defensively we were solid, with Manny, Harrai, and Omar all excellent at the back. Some brilliant passing moves in the second half and great impact from the subs Joven and Victor kept us on top. We’ll work on finishing our chances, but overall a very positive display and a good team effort. Player of the Match today went to Robin, he was outstanding both defensively and going forward, and played as a real team player.

The GNP Under 12 Pumas got off to a slow start, allowing hosts Stratford Town to take control and apply pressure. Fortunately, goalkeeper Sam made some crucial saves to deny Stratford from scoring early on. However, Stratford managed to capitalize on their dominance, taking a 3-0 lead thanks to some great finishing. Despite the deficit, the Pumas showed resilience and determination. Lekan hit the post on several occasions, but eventually, his persistence paid off as he scored a well-taken goal. Ziyyad followed up with a beautifully struck free kick, giving the Pumas hope. The Pumas continued to push for more. However, Stratford's attack proved relentless, and a foul in the box gave them a penalty, which they converted to take a 4-2 lead into half time. The 2nd half was an intense affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities. Lekan continued to threaten Stratford's goal, hitting the post and crossbar again. Sam made some incredible saves to keep the scoreline respectable, but ultimately, Stratford sealed the win with a fifth goal late in the game. Despite the 5-2 scoreline, the Pumas can take heart from their spirited performance. They showed great determination and never gave up, creating numerous chances throughout the match.

Under 11 Tigers vs Christ The King Blue. Tigers hosted CtK in what turned out to be a great a game of football. Tigers started with confidence but were caught out by a defensive mistake. Chimdubem and Harry responded as the Tigers stepped up the pace and looked increasingly dangerous. The away side capitalised on a loose back pass to equalise. The Tigers came out in the 2nd half with more urgency and started to get the forward players on the ball more; Harry completed his hat trick and Chimdubem added his second, Sohan also got a well deserved goal after numerous solo runs. CtK managed to pull another goal back but it was a dominant 2nd half display from the Tigers. PotM went to two players, Chimdubem for his positive driving runs and two goals and new boy Roman, who was brilliant at left back, looked composed on the ball defended with confidence.

Under 10 Tigers

GNP Under 9 Tigers delivered a commanding performance in their clear victory over Chapelfields Colts. From the first whistle, the Tigers took control of the game, and their attacking intent soon paid off with an early goal from Gurshaan, followed by two superb goals from Bishoy. The Tigers kept up the pressure, and Chapelfields were pinned back. The boys dominated the midfield and created a number of chances, dictating the tempo throughout. Another late Tigers goal followed from Anwar, sealing a dominant win. At the other end, Jibreel and Aron formed an outstanding partnership at the back, reading the game well and keeping Chapelfields at bay. Balraj produced a series of excellent saves, ensuring the clean sheet was never in doubt. For his composure and strength in defence, Aron was deservedly named Player of the Match.

Under 9 Pumas were away to Exhall FC. It was a very tight, evenly-matched encounter, and the opposition started on the front foot. However, we got back into the game and there was some great play down the wings, while our defence stood strong. However, halfway into the second half, they broke the deadlock as we unfortunately conceded a soft goal that just crossed the line. Thankfully it spurred us into action, and we went into attack mode in the final stages. The opposition couldn’t handle our speed, and Srihan scored from a corner taken by Rehaan to bring the game level. Soon after, Hugh delivered a through-ball to Srihan who ran through to score our 2nd goal. It was a nervy end to the game and our high-press meant we were exposed at the back and gave away a penalty, which was saved by Eemaanvir. We held on to the end to record our first victory of the season! We’re very proud of the boys who played brilliantly as a team!