Some tough challenges this week for our GNP Sports teams but several of our teams came through victorious, or unscathed, to continue tremendous unbeaten starts to their new league campaigns!

Huge credit to our brand new Under 8 Pumas (pictured) who have now played 4 games without defeat in their first competitive season! Our Under 11 Lions and Under 15 Tigers continue their 100% winning records, with the Tigers now clear at the top of the U15s Div B table. In our girls section the new Under 9 Panthers and the Under 16 Panthers both battled out tough draws to keep their great starts going too!

All the match action is collated below....

SATURDAY – GIRLS

Under 16 Panthers hosted Khalsa Lionesses from Leamington and played out an excellent, competitive league fixture. The match finished 1-1 – a hard-earned draw! And the GNP girls remain unbeaten after their first 3 league games!

GNP Under 10 Warriors played their first home game of the season against AFC Chelmsley in some beautiful weather. Chelmsley started strongly, scoring twice in the opening few minutes before the Warriors found their stride. Khivi scored a wonderful goal to get the team back into the game, followed by a great goal from Siya. The Warriors came out strongly in the second half, producing some excellent periods of passing football. Jasika scored twice, while Khivi added two more to complete a brilliant hat-trick!

A depleted Under 9 Panthers team travelled to Leafield Athletic in a closely fought draw. In a game that swung both ways, it looked like the game was lost with Leafield's keeper the stand out player. A last-minute equaliser was well deserved in the end. Goals from Asees and Poppy, Player of the match went to Georgia for her hard work and stamina. A lot to be proud of for the Panthers with Rhea, Jasmine and Leena completing the squad.

The Under 12 Panthers had a home game against Stratford this week and lost in a game where the scoreline really didn’t reflect the performance. 2-0 down at half time the Panthers pulled one back early in the second half through Roop and it looked like a comeback could be on the cards, but the Stratford players were able to capitalise on a few errors whilst GNP couldn’t capitalise on the good chances they were creating. Parents Player of the Match went to Khloe this week, a constant threat down the wing, creating some great chances for her team mates. Coaches Player went to Avani. Avani has fighting spirit in abundance and is adding calmness and good footwork to her repertoire.

SATURDAY – BOYS

GNP Under 12 Lions produced another strong performance to secure a 7–3 victory over Alvis. The Lions took control in the first half, with Jude completing a brilliant hat-trick to put us 3–0 ahead before Alvis pulled one back just before the break to make it 3–1 at half-time. The Lions added another two after the restart, before Alvis responded strongly with two goals of their own. With the game becoming more competitive, the Lions went into overdrive. Jamie got himself on the scoresheet, before a fiercely whipped corner from Amar was bravely met by Noad with a close-range header to complete the scoring. Multiple Men of the Match: Elliot, Jude & Finn. Elliot was superb between the posts with some excellent distribution, Jude was outstanding with five goals, and a special mention goes to Finn, who was absolutely fantastic in his centre-back role. Another great result and some excellent football from the Lions!

Under 11 Lions travelled to face Coundon Court. With the benefit of a full squad the Lions had opportunities to rotate positions. The Lions fired first from a great run by Veer down the wing who passed it through to Caleb with a quick cross to the back post for Nikhil to finish with ease. Veer was again instrumental whipping in a corner to find Caleb to extend our lead. Ksawery getting caught in the corner passed it out to Veer who struck an amazing long-range shot to find the back of the net. A solid lead was maintained thanks to harder tackling and quicker passes in defence with Manroop, Arjun, Wahid and Callum keeping the ball moving. Sehaj put in some solid saves to keep another clean sheet. Caleb and Yuvraaj both got stuck in, won the ball, and drove forward. They linked up with Ksawery, Nikhil, Veer and Sahib who used their strength and skill to push past Coundon’s defences or find their teammates. PoTM went to Veer who was key to all our goals. Another strong performance for the Lions!

A tough day at the office for the Under 10 Jaguars as they went down to Balsall & Berkswell Hornets who were recently promoted to the league above. The first three goals were conceded in quick succession after kick off. But once the Jaguars settled into the game, play evened out with both teams creating chances. The 2nd half saw GNP start strong with Varun narrowly missing the chance to open their account. However, Hornets weren’t resting and slotted home two further chances to extend their lead. Despite the large deficit the Jaguars never dropped their heads and continued to press the Hornets. Two great passes carving open the Hornets midfield found Leo who put the ball marginally wide of the post. But moments later, clearly with the bit between his teeth, Leo marauded through the middle of the park getting the ball to Theo who smashed it home for GNP’s first. An unfortunate penalty re-established the previous lead, but GNP kept plugging away, bagging a second when Isaac slipped Varun through on goal, who stayed composed, slotting it past their keeper. Moments before the final whistle Bobby, not for the first time, showed the tenacity that earned him PotM, making a great run down the left wing which ultimately drifted wide. A tough match but the boys showed great heart and take home some valuable lessons. We go again!

GNP Under 11 Jaguars suffered defeat against Wellesbourne, but the scoreline didn’t reflect how close the game was. Wellesbourne opened the scoring, but Jaguars responded quickly through Zion to level the game and show good character. Unfortunately, a couple of defensive errors and lapses in concentration allowed Wellesbourne to score twice before half-time, leaving a big challenge going into the 2nd half. The Jaguars came out with much more energy and determination, looking to get themselves back into the game. We created opportunities and pushed forward, but unfortunately couldn’t find the goals we needed. Wellesbourne added further goals as the game went on to secure the victory, but the boys continued to work hard and didn’t stop trying. The opposition coach was very complimentary of the Jaguars and said it was a much closer game than the scoreline suggested. There are plenty of positives to take from the performance, but also areas we know we need to improve, particularly our concentration and defensive organisation.

This week, our Under 11 Pumas took on Sky Blues in the Community, where they unfortunately suffered their first reverse of the season in a high-scoring affair. Both teams showed great determination and effort throughout the 1st half. Ajeet and Ife produced some fantastic one-on-one moments, showing great skill and confidence, but unfortunately couldn’t find the back of the net. Yash stepped up to take on the goalkeeper role and pulled off some brilliant saves to keep the Pumas in the game. The 2nd half saw the Pumas dig deep and battle right until the final whistle. Zak found his scoring boots and managed to grab a fantastic hat-trick , while Finan also got himself on the scoresheet again with a well-deserved goal. Yash continued to make some excellent saves throughout the 2nd half, earning himself PotM for his outstanding performance. Every single one of the boys gave it their all – a faultless attitude - and there were plenty of positives to take from the game.

The Under 8 Pumas (pictured) played an away fixture against a newly formed Vision Raptors team. It was another impressive showing from the Pumas. Some great attacking play culminated in Roshan continuing his scoring run with a brace. Hard work from Ramis led to him scoring a goal after playing half the match as goalkeeper for a second consecutive game. Player of the Match went to Harveer which was much deserved. Harveer scored two well taken goals as a striker and made a superb save to prevent a goal during his stint as goalkeeper. The remarkable start to the boys’ first season continues!

GNP Under 8 Tigers travelled away to Coundon Court this weekend. Coundon Court caught the Tigers off guard early on, capitalising on some defensive gaps to score two quick goals. The Tigers soon found their rhythm, with David showing great composure carrying the ball out from the back and picking out excellent passes. On the wings, Cameron and Rehmet put in a tireless shift to press the opposition. The breakthrough came just before the break when Uday drove in from the left and unleashed a brilliant long-range strike into the back of the net. A wet pitch made life difficult for the Tigers goalkeeper, allowing Coundon Court to strike quickly with two early goals. The Tigers refused to drop their heads; Gian showed quick thinking, taking an early shot with the outside of his foot to pull one back. Coundon Court replied, but the Tigers kept pushing. Marsels then played a sharp, short corner to Gian, who dribbled closer and drilled a powerful shot home. Tigers rallied fiercely for a late comeback, but unfortunately ran out of time to beat the opposition goalkeeper that pulled off a series of miraculous, acrobatic saves all match. POTM today went to Uday for his surging runs, spectacular long-range goal, and non-stop energy that kept the Tigers in the fight till the end.

The Under 8 Lions welcomed Chapelfields Colts Crusaders at home today and after a slow start, found themselves three down at the end of the first quarter. The Lions didn’t let their heads drop though and fought their way back into the game. Leon got us on the scoresheet with a cracking goal, brilliantly assisted by Giaan. In the second half, the boys went up a few gears and really battled it out against a very strong Crusaders side, showing great strength in the tackles and some fantastic defending from Kritin, Aathi and Harvansh. Aarav moved onto the wing in the final quarter and made an instant impact, finding the back of the net with two amazing goals! Despite the Lions eventually being defeated, there were plenty of positives to take from the game. It was fantastic to see the boys putting into practice the feedback, and things they’ve been working on in training. Our Player of the Match went to Aarav, who not only scored two of our three goals, but also made some fantastic saves in the first three quarters to keep us in the game. Well done, Lions! We’re very proud of the way you battled today, especially against such a strong Crusaders team. Keep working hard, keep listening, and keep believing!

SUNDAY – BOYS

Under 15 Lions hosted Attleborough Sports Raiders, keen to extend their 100% start to the season. The game started perfectly with Mario executing a perfect press on the Raiders defence, forcing a mistake on the edge of their box. Captain Michael was on hand to pick up the pieces and finish brilliantly with his left foot from 18 yards! Further good play followed but Attleborough hit back with a goal to equalise and then took the lead when the busy attacker outjumped the GNP defence from a corner to head in from point-blank range. 1-2 at half time. The Lions responded well to the half time team talk and equalised when good work from Savvy on the left wing set Michael on one of his runs – Michael skipped past 2 challenges before slotting the ball smoothly past the keeper; 2-2 ! After this spark of hope, however, things started to go badly wrong. Attleborough edged ahead with a controversial goal and then took advantage of several GNP mistakes to extend the lead. The match finished 2-7 which doesn’t really reflect the balance of play but certainly a deserved win for an energetic and committed Attleborough team. GNP will look to hit back immediately next week with a visit to Chetwynd.

Under 15 Tigers visited fellow promoted team Coventry Phoenix Blaze at a windy Coventrians RFC Ground. Both teams allowed the conditions to dictate play in the opening half. Despite GNP having most of the ball it was a really scrappy half and ended goalless. Coach Jat asked the boys for bravery in the 2nd half to take the ball down and look to play our football on the floor – the boys certainly did this, with Dylan prominent now in midfield and creating a lot of danger down the right side. Chances came and went. Then Phoenix had a short purple patch of their own. Wiktor was thankfully alert on 2 occasions to deny a clear 1v1 chance and tipped a reflex save over the bar - both brilliant saves, earning him PotM! Jat switched things up for the final quarter of the game moving to a 4-3-3 and allowing Emmanuel to move into a RW position. This proved to be the decisive factor – with 13 mins remaining Emmanuel picked up the ball in midfield and sprinted past 2 challenges before powering the ball high and wide of the keeper and just under the bar for the lead. Fittingly jubilant scenes for a genuine game-changing moment! 6 minutes later, GNP secured the 3 points when Oscar and Emmanuel worked a short corner, allowing Emmanuel to jink down the byline and slot in his shot with his left foot. Final score 0-2 to GNP. The boys went 2pts clear at the top of the league table thanks to this result – some big games on the horizon!

Under 15 Pumas

Under 14 Pumas

GNP Under 13 Lions hosted Racing Club Warwick Gold in their Division B clash and, after a slow start and two defensive mistakes, found themselves 2–0 down at half-time despite creating several good openings. The Lions took control after the break, producing a really positive midfield performance, with Aaron Marajh electric down the wing as GNP hit the woodwork three times, created numerous goalmouth scrambles and had two strong penalty appeals turned down. Despite the result, there were plenty of positives in a performance where the Lions showed what they are capable of – if they can find that cutting edge in front of goal, there should be plenty to look forward to this season. Player of the Match: Aaron Marajh, for a fantastic display full of pace, power and attacking threat.

Under 13 Jaguars faced a tough away battle at Rugby Borough Colts who are seen as one of the strongest teams in the division this season, but the Jaguars more than matched them for large periods and created plenty of chances and on another day could have won the game. After a slow start, the boys grew into the match and finished the first half the stronger team. Harrai and Manny defended well, Joven and Victor worked tirelessly on the wings, while Armaan, Arjun and Ahmed all came close to scoring. The 2nd half remained evenly contested, with Jago coming on and making a strong debut down the left. Ahmed hit the bar with a great shot and Victor also went close twice denied by their keeper. Rugby Borough then scored a wonder strike from far out before a very harsh penalty made it 2–0. Despite the setback, the boys kept pushing and created several more clear cut chances coming close through Victor, Jago, Ahmed and then Arjun but it just wasn’t our day. Player of the Match went to to Joven B for his energy, battling and hard work down the left.

Under 13 Tigers suffered their first defeat of the season, losing 1-3 to Coventry Phoenix Blaze. The Tigers started strong, moving the ball around and after several strikes on the woodwork were rewarded with a goal by Declan, ending the first half on a confident 1-0. Unfortunately in the 2nd half, the lack of substitutes and a few knocks saw the Tigers unable to continue their pace. Phoenix were able to throw 4 pairs of fresh legs at the game and used these to scatter the midfield and take multiple attempts on goal. With the shape lost and increased attacking, Phoenix scored what felt like an inevitable equaliser. The Tigers took a few chances and were denied, then a defensive slip allowed the opposition to take the lead. The nail in the coffin came in the last few minutes where again Phoenix took the ball from midfield with very little challenge and hammered it home.

Under 11 Tigers

Under 10 Lions

The Under 10 Pumas played at home against the Coventrians. Although we gave a good showing in the first half and only conceded one goal, we capitulated in the 2nd half against relentless opposition. Aarush scored a goal from a wonderful free kick but unfortunately it proved no more than a consolation. Unfortunately there was an unnecessary incident between the teams early in the 2nd half, which really affected the boys and made the rest of the game largely academic.

Under 10 Tigers made their 2nd trip of the season to President Kennedy to face another Coventry Phoenix team. It was the bare 7 players due to the absence of Bishoy and Aron, so was expected to be an uphill battle. This proved to be the case but the boys did not give up the fight throughout. They kept Phoenix to 1-0 at half time with Arjun & Jibreel providing a stiff rearguard and Louis putting in a strong performance as goalkeeper. Unsurprisingly, the tiring legs in the 2nd half proved to be critical as Phoenix created chance after chance – and continued to add to their tally despite countless saves from PotM Louis.

Under 9 Pumas played a fast-paced competitive game against Hillmorton Lions, with both teams showing good attacking intent from the start. The Lions opened the scoring early as the Pumas were slow to start. Before Angad fired a return following a great pass from goalkeeper Jake, who also made some great saves in the opening 10 minutes. Jovan showed good initiative to score two goals, while Hillmorton made an excellent save to deny Angad in the 2nd half. GNP created a number of chances in the final 10 minutes but failed to capitalise. The boys worked hard as a team in a game that was end to end throughout. The result unfortunately, didn’t reflect the effort put in by the Pumas. Great game to watch!