Yet more rain put paid to a large number of fixtures this weekend, so were thankful to have secured several 3G pitch bookings for some of our teams to keep playing. Our Under 7 Boys teams both had their first taste of Trophy Events and had a mixed set of games, leaving both short of qualification. The Pumas teams from the Under 13 and Under 12 age groups continued their positive seasons with emphatic wins keeping them both well in promotion contention.

SATURDAY – GIRLS

GNP Under 9 Panthers welcomed Coundon Court at home and, after a slightly slow start, soon found their rhythm. The breakthrough came when Abi put the opposition under pressure and deservedly scored the opening goal. From there, the goals began to flow. Mihar was in fine form, netting two excellent goals before half-time to give GNP a commanding lead at the break. The 2nd half picked up exactly where the first left off. Siya was unstoppable, completing a superb hat-trick, while Jaye and Shreya also got on the scoresheet to cap off an impressive attacking display. At the back, the team were just as strong. Jasmine made a couple of important saves in the second half to secure a well-earned clean sheet. Lilly and Tanaya battled hard in defence throughout, while Jackie put pressure on the opposition and helped drive the team forward. Overall, this was a fantastic all-round team performance and an encouraging display from everyone involved.

SATURDAY – BOYS

Under 7 Lions hosted the trophy event on Saturday with four other teams. The first match was against Coventry Sphinx Blue, a closely contested match. Aarav did well in goal, as did Shivaay in defence. Halfway through the game, Gian scored the only goal, cutting in from the left wing and finding the top corner, getting the Lions off to a flying start. The second match was against Chapelfields Colts Crusaders. Another close game, Harvansh, made a number of saves, as did the Colts goalkeeper. Aathi did not stop running down the wing supporting his team. The Lions won a penalty in the closing stages. Gian put it away to seal the Lions' second win. The 3rd match was against Christ the King Green. A couple of unfortunate mistakes and own goals gave the Lions a difficult task to overturn. Mikey was unlucky not to score in this game. Gian came off the bench to score, but the Lions fell short to level the game. The final match was against Soccerrockz Trojans. A match where the winner was likely to top the group. Trojans scored the opener. Lucas came off the bench to support, where he found Gian, who scored his fourth goal of the day. Tommy was very unfortunate not to get a winner finding himself one on one. Trojans managed a winner in a terrific contest to edge GNP out of potential top spot. Fantastic effort from all the Lions.

GNP Under 7 Tigers attended their first League Trophy Event on Saturday afternoon with four other teams at Rugby Borough. The first match was against Hillmorton Lions and it finished 7-1 to GNP. Each game finished with penalties (to act as a tie breaker if needed) The shoot-out finished 3-1 to GNP. The second match was against Ambleside Rangers. After a tough battle GNP lost with a goal from Ambleside on the final whistle. The third match was against Copsewood and again unfortunately finished 1-0. It was another fast game and Copsewood were just that little bit quicker to react. Tobias played a fantastic 15 minutes as goalkeeper. GNP did put away some great penalties in the shoot-out to take it 4-2. The final match was against home team Rugby Borough. This was a game GNP with their usual play could have won but it just didn't come together for them today. The match finished 1-0 to Rugby.

The GNP Under 8 Lions roared back into action after several weeks out, delivering a true game of two halves against a fast-starting Bulkington side. The opening period was a slow burner for GNP. There were glimpses of positive link-up play and some tidy passing sequences, but the Lions struggled to cope with Bulkington’s direct style, with the opposition moving the ball quickly into attacking areas. Despite GNP showing moments of promise, they found themselves down heavily at the break – a scoreline that demanded a response. And what a response it was! The 2nd half saw a completely different GNP Lions side take to the pitch. With renewed energy, belief and aggression, the boys began to impose themselves on the game, pressing higher, tackling with intent and moving the ball with purpose. The turnaround began with a superb free kick from Theo, setting the tone for what followed. Dhillan’s vision and passing quality shone throughout the half, including a brilliant assist for Elliot’s goal. Kiaan then produced the moment of the match with a sensational drag, step and finish into the far corner – a well-deserved goal that perfectly reflected his relentless effort and determination. Across the pitch, there were standout performances. Sahib dominated the midfield in the second half, winning the ball back and distributing it with confidence. Evan made a huge impact when moving outfield, disrupting play, tackling well and even contributing with some excellent saves. Thomas impressed between the sticks, including a fantastic high catch that drew applause from the watching parents. At the back, Theo marshalled the defence superbly, ensuring Bulkington’s big strikers were kept at bay, while Jagraaj showed real strength and composure to win the ball and pick out some excellent passes. Elliot’s work rate never dipped and he earned a well-taken goal for his efforts. Elliot’s pressing and willingness to look up and pass added to the team’s attacking threat, while Dhillan was exceptional throughout, consistently creating opportunities and putting teammates in strong positions. In the end, the Lions’ four-goal second-half performance was richly deserved and showed exactly what this team is capable of when they play with confidence, aggression and belief. A frustrating start, but a phenomenal response. We go again next week — onwards and upwards.

SUNDAY – BOYS

Under 9 Pumas welcomed Coventrians Phoenix for an early-morning start in the sunshine. The Pumas got off to a slow start and soaked up a lot of pressure in our own half. The defence were holding strong until the opposition broke the deadlock with some intricate passing, culminating in a goal. We made some changes at half time and started moving the ball around quicker, which the opposition found tough to handle. Our attacking trio of Aarush, Hugh and Srihan pressured their goalkeeper into a mistake, which led to Srihan scoring an equaliser in the final quarter of the match. It ended as a deserved draw although, being a Trophy Event game, we narrowly lost the penalty shoot out. Still, a great showing from the boys.

Under 10 Tigers welcomed Exhall Colts FC in Trophy Event group stage action. Tigers found themselves 2 goals down within 5 minutes which called for a couple of quick substitutions. Arveer in the centre-mid brought energy and drive into the Tigers which prompted a swift response. Rajan opened the scoring with some great passing between him and Arveer. Sahib added another with a great assist from Rajan. Veer made his own opportunity in controlling a loose ball from the opposition keeper and hammered home another. Exhall tried to comeback but with some excellent defending from Adam and Felix, any attack soon disappeared. Ollie continued his excellent form from recent weeks keeping the Tigers well and truly in front. The fourth goal came from an excellent move which started with Arveer passing to Ty who laid it off wonderfully to Rajan who slotted a neat pass to Sahib to score before half time. Second half saw Exhall chasing the game which brought GNP further chances in the opposition’s defence. Fifth goal saw Sahib lay off a ball to Veer who made an excellent pass to Player of the Match Ty on the right wing who scored. Felix playing as a striker for the last few minutes showed excellent ball control and grabbed his first ever goal - suffice to say he was delighted! Exhall Colts managed to grab a goal back with the last kick of the match but it was thoroughly commanding performance from the Tigers who showed great resilience in come back from 2 goals down to win.

GNP Pumas Under 12 started strong against Chetwynd Jets, battling it out in a tight first half with chances flying both ways. They held their nerve, and Lekan broke the deadlock with a well-worked goal just before half time. The 2nd half was a different story. Lekan scored his second, beating the defence with ease, before Mason added a third from outside the box. Ziyyad made it 4-0 with a blistering finish, and Lekan completed his hat-trick with a clever lob. The Pumas weren't done yet - Ziyyad scored again, thanks to a great pass from Lekan, sealing a convincing win. An all-round solid performance from the Pumas, with every player contributing to the team win.

Under 12 Jaguars produced an excellent team performance away at league leaders Whitnash Town, but unfortunately didn’t get the result to match! They started strongly, creating early chances through Arjun, Ahmed, and Victor, and even had a strong penalty shout turned down when Arjun was tackled from behind whilst through on goal. Whitnash went ahead after a defensive lapse and added a further 2 goals, although the scoreline didn’t reflect how well the Jaguars were playing. At half-time, the boys were encouraged to keep going, and they responded brilliantly. They started the 2nd half on the front foot, with Armaan breaking through to score a well-taken goal and momentum was with the Jaguars. Ahmed then went on a great run and hit the post with his shot, Arjun nearly lobbed the keeper, Joven B went close, and Victor was denied by an excellent save. The Jaguars created at least five clear-cut chances and dominated possession, showing they were the better team in the 2nd half, the only thing missing was that second goal. Whitnash added from a late counter which made the scoreline a bit harsher than the Jaguars deserved. Player of the Match went to Armaan for his goal and relentless hard work. In the end it just wasn’t their day, but the team should be proud of the performance as it showed how far they’ve come and proved they can compete with a strong, seasoned opponent!

The Under 12 Tigers faced Panjab Athletic in a game that was a tale of two halves, showing both the challenges and the resilience within the squad. The 1st half saw the Tigers start slowly, which allowed PA to take control of the game. The early pressure resulted in the Tigers going into half time 3–0 down. Despite the difficult start, the team remained determined to turn things around in the second half. After the break, the Tigers came out with renewed spirit and determination. Their efforts quickly paid off when Jude was pulled down just outside the penalty area. He stepped up himself and produced a wonderful free kick that burst into the back of the net to give the Tigers a lifeline. The momentum continued to build as Malachi followed up with the Tigers’ second goal, keeping the pressure firmly on the opposition. The comeback was completed when Declan spotted the goalkeeper off his line and seized the opportunity, calmly slotting home the equaliser to make it 3–3. Unfortunately, a lapse in concentration allowed PA to regain the lead with their fourth goal, and a very late strike sealed the game for the home side, meaning PA walked away with the three points.

Under 13 Pumas had an away trip to Brinklow Colts. A dominant performance by the Pumas who could have scored even more, but for missed chances and 2 missed penalties. Within the first seconds, Pumas went on the attack and it continued throughout in a one-sided affair. There were more missed opportunities than goals scored with the Pumas winning 11-2. Goals from Aiden 3, Armaan 3, Junior 2, Nathan 2, and new boy Mayo getting his first ever goal, in his first ever game for the Pumas.