With pitches just about recovering from last week's heavy showers, another spell of constant rain during Saturday interrupted the weekend's games again with the Sunday fixture schedule decimated. There were mixed fortunes for our two Mid Warwickshire Trophy Event quarter-finalists, with the Under 10 Jaguars progressing confidently to the semi finals. In other news, the Under 13 Tigers and Under 14 Tigers continued their invincible starts to the season with big away victories, whilst the Under 13 Pumas moved into promotion places in their division! Our Under 8 Tigers also continued their recent resurgence in form with another goal-fest in their victory at Sphinx.

SATURDAY – GIRLS

GNP Under 12 Panthers Girls hosted Vision Vixens on a rainswept, sodden Saturday morning. Unfortunately the girls seem to be getting into a trend of starting games slowly and were 0-3 down with 15 minutes played. Then they woke up. Firstly Avneet on one of her trademark runs down the left, beat her marker for pace and trickery and broke into the box and finished well with a low drive. Shortly, after a defensive mix up, the ball found the waiting feet of Faith, who slotted home well from 8 yards with a side foot finish. Panthers down 2-3 at half time. 2nd half the girls fightback proved to be short-lived, conceding a fourth Vision goal against the run of play. Back came the Panthers and a great ball from Sheena put Suvreet through on goal and she finished well low past the keeper. 3-4 and all to play for with 10 minutes to play. However today proved that you can't come back all of the time and Vision held out. Panthers sadly went down to a 3-4 defeat.

SATURDAY – BOYS

The GNP Under 13 Tigers came up against an in-form Kenilworth Wardens side in what proved to be an exciting end-to-end encounter. GNP started a little slowly but soon found their rhythm, taking the lead through a brilliant solo run and tidy finish from MD. Kenilworth responded well, pushing forward with purpose and eventually grabbing a well-worked equaliser to make it 1–1. Just before half-time, with GNP under pressure, the Tigers showed great character. Another composed finish from MD restored the lead, sending GNP into the break 1–2 ahead. The second half opened up completely, with both teams searching for goals. GNP, however, were ruthless in the final third. Deepak treated everyone to a superb hat-trick, while further goals from MD and Josiah stretched the scoreline. Despite Kenilworth adding two more of their own, GNP’s attacking display proved too strong, securing a convincing 3–9 victory. Player of the Match went to Jenson, who was outstanding between the sticks. He produced numerous vital saves—including some spectacular double saves—that kept GNP well in control and prevented the game from becoming much closer. A fantastic team performance all around, with plenty of goals and hard work across the pitch!

The GNP Under 10 Jaguars delivered a dominant performance in their convincing win over Kenilworth Wardens Ospreys. From the first whistle, the team showed great energy, teamwork, and determination. Up front, Reggie was in sensational form, scoring an incredible eight goals (!)— four of them coming in the first half. Jake added a brilliant hat-trick of his own, including one before half time. Angad and Anshveer also got on the scoresheet, each contributing a well-taken goal to the team’s impressive tally. Agam made some great saves in goals. Despite the opposition finding the net, the Jaguars never dropped their heads and continued to work hard and support each other across the pitch. In the second half, the teamwork really shone through, with players linking up brilliantly and moving the ball confidently as a unit. James earned a well-deserved Player of the Match award for his superb determination in defence, consistently getting in front of the ball, making key interventions, and even adding an assist to cap off a fantastic display. With this victory, we are now through to the semi-finals — a fantastic achievement for the team. A great all-round performance from the Jaguars!

Under 10 Lions faced Leek Wootton Colts in a compelling contest. Despite conceding an early goal, Fakhir and Sahib's contributions swiftly put us in the lead, only for Leek Wotton Colts to equalise. This parity was short-lived as Sahib quickly regained our lead. With the rain continuing into the second half the Lions pushed further ahead with Sahib adding another and Fakhir contributing a brace to extend the Lions lead. However, due to momentary lapses in concentration, Leek Wotton Colts managed to score twice. This only spurred the Lions on with decisive goals from Sahib, Nikhil, and two more from Fakhir. The team had a phenomenal game, reflected by the significant goal tally and great passing plays. The team could have further extended their lead with multiple chances at goal. Ksawery earned POTM for his adaptability in playing various positions and his sustained effort throughout the game. A fantastic result especially against a team who play two tiers above! Well done Lions!

The Under 10 Pumas played away against St Peter’s Celtic. They started on the back foot, conceding an early goal and had to chase the game from the outset. The boys applied good pressure but were caught on the counter-attack. There was some excellent link-up play between Sunny and Ajeet, but they were denied by strong goalkeeping. Despite working incredibly hard, the boys couldn’t quite find the goal their effort deserved. Early in the second half, Eric produced some spectacular saves to keep the Pumas in the game. Yash battled tirelessly in midfield, using great shielding to hold off defenders and create opportunities for his teammates. Zak pulled one back with a stunning long-range free kick from just inside the opposition half, a jaw-dropping goal. With only one available substitute, tired legs began to show, and the team conceded a late goal. Ajeet earned POTM for his adaptability, tricky dribbling, and impressive passing. A wholehearted effort from the Pumas on a very wet day.

The Under 9 Jaguars welcomed Tysoe to Finham for a quarter final that was always going to be tough. Having played them before, the boys knew what to expect, but from the first whistle they went straight on the attack. Isaac gave us the perfect start, following up a rebound to put us ahead, and just before half-time he was there again, timing his run from a corner to restore the lead. He never stopped running, driving us forward and tracking back when needed. The second half was played in freezing conditions, but the lads didn’t let up. Freddie pulled off save after save — proper worldies even when he couldn’t feel his hands — while Varun and Mithun kept things solid at the back. Bobby’s quick feet and vision kept us moving, Theo battled up front and kept their defenders busy, and Anwar, making his debut, ran himself into the ground across three different positions. He slotted in like he’d been part of the team for ages. We threw everything at them but just couldn’t find that third goal. Tysoe nicked an equaliser late on, and the game slipped away on penalties. Heartbreaking, but the effort was unreal. Player of the Week went to Emaad, whose constant running, clever switches and defensive graft summed up the spirit of the team. Though every player deserves recognition for their maturity and fight in freezing conditions. The Jaguars showed slick passing, fast transitions, and brave defending. This team is becoming a skilful, exciting side — cup exit or not, this performance showed how far they have come, and it’s great to watch!

8 weeks ago a new-look Under 8 Tigers were still finding their feet when they played their final evaluation game against today’s opponents, Cov Sphinx Blue, the game went all the blues way. Only 5 games later the two teams met again and with it a chance to see how far the boys had come. The game started slow as both teams tried to get used to the boggy pitch and it took Lucas and Rayan’s efforts to keep the sphinx long ball game at bay and let the tigers get into a groove. Akram latched onto a Rhys block and slid the ball into the far corner but otherwise the quarter was frustrating as the boys tried to pass and play their way into shooting positions only for the sphinx to hoof it back down the pitch. The 2nd quarter saw Milkias on the left wing and his powerful runs created the two best chances of the quarter giving him a lovely assist and a goal that started with him collecting a save from the touchline and dribbling the length of the pitch to fire home. Two quick sphinx goals levelled the score in qtr 3 before the boys woke up and dug in for a tough period. They showed their determination and resolve and a mixture of powerful runs and great passes showed the tigers extra class and moved them out of reach. Petru had stepped into goal to cover for the now frozen Lucas and made some good saves to limit any sphinx response while Milkias, Akram and Rhys ran riot, bagging 5 goals between them. From a comprehensive defeat to clear winners in such a short time is quite epic and on a cold and wet day the boys gave all from start to finish. Rayan played the game of his life, blocking, tackling and intercepting attack after attack and showing great composure and maturity when he did win the ball back. Lucas also stood tall in goal, catching and blocking some fine sphinx shots and completing what was a wonderful all round team performance against a strong team. Go Tigers!

On a morning that felt like the sky had been left on the rinse cycle, the GNP Under 8 Lions stepped out for another tough fixture against Firefighters. Despite being as soggy as sponges left out in the monsoon, the boys were still bursting with energy. The Lions took a little time to warm up, and in the first ten minutes it was the Firefighters who came out blazing. Despite the pressure, Evan was outstanding between the sticks—making brave saves, brilliant blocks and showing huge improvement with his goal kicks, which helped launch several strong counter-attacks. After regrouping at half time, the Lions came roaring back. Suddenly it was the Firefighters on the back foot as GNP rattled in four unanswered goals. Thomas, our well-deserved Man of the Match, grabbed two of them—commanding at the back, breaking up play and driving forward with real confidence. Theo added another two, using sheer determination to close players down, force mistakes and finish clinically. There were moments of genuinely lovely football throughout the match, including a flowing four-pass move from Elliot, Kiaan and Thomas into Theo, who was unlucky to see his effort slide narrowly wide. Kiaan was strong in the tackle and consistently drove the team forward, while Jagraaj brought real power and energy down the wing, working tirelessly to support attacks. Luca produced some magical dribbling moments, showing growing strength against defenders and increasing confidence on the ball. Sahib impressed with his neat footwork to escape pressure and was always looking for the intelligent pass to keep the team moving. Dhillan, our “Lion of the Game”, played in several different positions and excelled in all of them—demonstrating his understanding from training and contributing wherever he was asked. Elliot grew into the game superbly as it went on, reading play well, proving tough defensively and becoming a real danger when driving forward. It was another challenging match in a very competitive tier. The results don’t always fall our way, but the boys are becoming stronger, more resilient and more skilful every single week. What never drops is their team spirit… The only thing that falls out is the coach’s hair! Well done Lions—hold onto that second-half performance and let’s start the next game exactly how we finished this one!

Under 7 Lions hosted Coventry Sphinx Whites this weekend. The Lions started well with an opening goal from Mikey. Sphinx equalised shortly after with a well taken goal. During the first half, Mikey and Lucas did well in carrying the ball to increase the pressure on their opponents. Before half time, Sphinx scored again, creating a narrow lead for them to take into the break. After the break, Sphinx scored from kick off to further their lead. The Lions kept going and were rewarded when Aarav scored his first goal of the season, capitalising on the Sphinx goalkeeper dropping the ball to the ground. Sphinx scored immediately from kick off again due to a lapse in concentration as a team. The Lions gathered their composure and continued to load pressure into the opposition's half. They were rewarded when Shivaay scored, reducing the deficit to a single goal. Unfortunately, the last 5 minutes, Sphinx managed to score three quick goals and secured a well-deserved victory. The Lions had plenty of good moments today and some moments for reflection, which they will take into their next match. Keep going boys!

SUNDAY – BOYS

Under 14 Tigers visited fellow promotion challengers Rugby Borough Colts, thankful for the 3G pitch scheduling. The boys delivered a polished 1st half, topped off with 2 superb goals, fashioned by their potent strikeforce. On 4 and 22 minutes, great work by Muhamadou teed up Ayden, who finished both chances with venom and accuracy, leaving the keeper no chance! Ayden was inches from a hat trick after a superb run and pass from Iklil teed him up, but he struck the near post this time. Stand-in keeper Harshaan had to remain alert to keep out two well struck chances for Rugby. The 2nd half saw Rugby throw more players forward and play with more aggression, which created a more open game. Harman S, who had put in a superb defensive shift at wing back against the Rugby danger-man, earned a fortunate, but deserved, goal when his run and cross evaded the keeper and defence, thanks to the distraction of Dylan’s near post run, and crossed the line at the far post. Rugby hit back through a counter-attack, finished by their talented winger, but their glimmer of hope was short lived, when, a minute later, Dylan dinked through a bouncing pass which sat up invitingly for Muhamadou to lob over the keeper for GNP’s 4th. The floodgates then opened in the final 10 minutes with three brilliant individual goals, scored by Oscar, Muhamadou and Iklil, set up by Ayden, Aarun S & Oscar respectively. Final score 1-7 to GNP: a brilliant result which strengthens the Tigers grip on the title race, and super performances across the pitch, but PoTM awarded for the 2nd week running to Harman S, more so for his defending this week!

Under 13 Pumas were up against Cov Alvis. Good win for the Pumas today, but was not an easy game, despite the final scoreline. Pumas took the lead through Armaan after 15 minutes, great run by Arun down the wing who picked the ball up in the Pumas half, whipping in a cross from the by line which was driven in by Armaan. GNP added a 2nd courtesy of an Alvis own goal. Alvis pulled one back from a free kick before half time which wasn’t cleared by the Pumas defence. 2-1 up at half time with Alvis defending stoutly. Pumas Player of the match, Evan, hit his first goal of the game to put GNP 3-1 up. Nathan, who had struggled in the 1st half, came off the bench in the 2nd half, a completely different player, striking 4 times to put the Pumas ahead 7-1. A battling Alvis were awarded a free kick just outside the area, late on in the 2nd half, which was driven past the Pumas keeper. GNP Pumas winning 7-2 to move into 2nd place in the league table, with some big games coming up.

Under 12 Lions were away to Dallas Burston. On a pristine surface, the match started at a frantic pace and Lions managed to settle with some control after conceding an early goal. A fantastic long range reply from Rajan got the Lions level and playing with confidence. However, they were undone by a couple of very soft goals from corners and had a goal disallowed themselves, leaving them 3-1 down at HT. Despite only one sub, the lads kept plugging away and were denied only by some outstanding GK saves. And conceded another before the pressure finally told and the boys got their just reward with Alfie making it 4-2, setting up an exciting final quarter. With the Lions pushing for more goals, a couple of mistakes led to two counter attack goals to put the result beyond doubt. The lads can hold their heads high with some great performances at a very competitive level. Player of match went to Jack for his relentless pressing and quality on the ball.

Under 9 Pumas played at home against Coventrians Phoenix. We got off to a great start with an early goal, with Laksh and Eemaanvir playing out from defence and putting Hugh through on goal who finished well. Unfortunately, the opposition’s aggression on and off the ball put our players on the back foot, and despite Jodhbeer’s best efforts in goal, we conceded two goals either side of half time. We packed the midfield with Kishan, Srihan and Eshaanvir, throwing everything at opposition in the last few minutes trying to find an equaliser. We went close through Jwad and Hugh, but to no avail. However, despite the narrow loss, it was a solid performance from all the boys.