A momentous weekend saw GNP Sports Under 15s crowned as Division B Champions following a dramatic 4-3 comeback victory over Coventry Copsewood! Huge congratulations to Parmy, Hardip and all players, coaches and supporters on yet another tremendous season. Their 2nd league title in 3 years and capping a meteoric rise up the leagues following relegation to Div D only a few years ago!

SATURDAY – GIRLS

GNP Under 12 Panthers were up against Coventry Utd Reds with a squad of only 8 girls, the opposition choosing to still field a full team. We struggled to create opportunities in the first half, leaving us down by 3 goals, including an own goal from a corner. However, the Panthers made a strong return after half time with Orna outfield and Harper taking her place in goal. There were strong performances all around with Orna and Avani both narrowly missing opportunities. Ultimately Mankirat was rewarded with a superb goal. The girls showed grit and resistance in spite of their numerical disadvantage.

SATURDAY – BOYS

The Under 8 Tigers were up against Mount Nod. There were plenty of goals with Eesa, Mohamed and Varun getting onto score sheet. There were also plenty of goals conceded as we lacked the defending ability on the wing. With the scores level it was up to Varun in the dying minutes to score a spectacular free kick to bring victory home!

Under 8 Jaguars played CTK greens, first half the boys started attacking the ball and we were ahead thanks to an own goal however the opposition scored a few before the half to take the lead. Second half Anshveer scored and Agam scored two, however it was not enough as the opposition scored due to lapses of concentration & individual mistakes. Nevertheless a really positive season of growth for the Jaguars who won three times more games than last season!

The Under 8 Pumas played away against Hawkesmill Eagles. Early on the teams both pushed forward but Hawkesmill made the breakthrough with 2 quick goals. The Pumas fought back, a penalty by Musa and a great strike by Sunny to level the scoring. PotM Ajeet was instrumental in the attacking play, bringing the ball forward from the back. Unfortunately, in the 2nd half the Pumas seemed to switch off and the opposition took advantage of some mishaps to put the game out of reach. The Pumas can look back on a great season and are looking forward to progress into 7 a side.

Under 8 Lions played away to Cov Jag. The Lions were far from their best and Cov Jag had way too much quality all over the pitch resulting in a very one-sided game. A shame to end the season with a heavy loss but the boys are looking forward to next season.

Under 7 Jaguars continued their preparation for their debut season with another friendly against Chapelfields Colts. The boys controlled possession in the 1st half with some good build up play from the back & down the wings, and Oryn provided a dangerous threat to Chapelfields with his speed and direct running. PotM Mithun was impressive on the wing and especially at the back. Despite the positive start, Chaps took the lead with an unstoppable long range effort. 2nd half was an even affair with both teams exchanging attacks. Theo won possession out wide, cut inside and scored with a crisp shot at the inside post, but Colts went ahead again when GNP lost some defensive discipline. Another great workout for the boys as they get ready for an exciting 1st season!

The Under 7 Pumas were away to Coventry Phoenix Blaze in the last game of the season. It was a very close match. Despite taking the lead, our good work was undone quickly due to a couple of lapses of concentration at the back. However, the whole squad played well and we were unlucky not to come away with something. There have been a lot of positives and continual improvements in our first season which give us hope for the Under 8s season.

Under 7 Lions were up against Coventry Sphinx at home in their last game of the season. It was a very close match. It started off with Sphinx taking an early lead scoring 2 goals in the opening few minutes leaving lions stunned. Lions did manage to pull one back with a penalty kick. Numerous chances were created by GNP, hitting the crossbar a couple of times but they couldn't net the equaliser. An improved display by Lions over the past 2 games which keeps hopes high for next season!

Under 7 Tigers played against Meriden. The boys were forced onto the back foot with Meriden camped in the GNP half – The boys worked together to prevent many efforts on goal. As the boys built attacks of their own, the defence started to unfold and goals were scored by both teams. Once the floodgates opened, it was hard to hold Meriden back from a succession of goals. The boys who covered the goalkeeper position gave their best to keep the goals out. Kurren (POTM) was brilliant as an all rounder with numerous near misses. Better luck next time boys.

SUNDAY - BOYS

The Under 15s played Copsewood at home knowing a point would guarantee them as Division B Champions. Going on previous encounters, the pre-match talk reflected the need to score early and their heads will drop. However, give them a chance and Copsewood will make it difficult. GNP started well and had a corner cleared off the line in the first minute, Copsewood seemed to be jolted into action and took a shock 2-0 lead. GNP responded as they have done all season and managed to pull one back a few minutes later. A pass from Zaid found Ajay, who duly dispatched into the corner to make it 1-2. With the first half coming to an end the boys equalised from a Dylan corner which was headed into the top corner by Tom. A change of formation in the second half due to Copsewood attack made little impact to begin with as Copsewood took the lead again. Several substitutions lead to more chances and with time running out, the final subs made the difference. With 7 minutes to go, Archie hit the bar, only for Ethan to be in the right place to equalise, bringing the league title tantalisingly close. Typical of this group, they didn't settle for this and with two minutes left, Archie hit a great shot with his weaker left foot to win the game. Final score 4-3 and a great way to win Division B. The GNP Under 15s have had a mentality all season of going to the final whistle; on endless occasions they have produced comebacks, from 3-0 down, 3-2 down twice and 1-0 to deservedly win the league. It's been an absolute pleasure for the coaches to manage these boys and just cannot say enough how proud the parents and Manager are of this special group. Target was always to create history at GNP and we’re sure they have with two league titles in three years. What a team!

Under 12 Tigers played their first 11v11 match in a friendly against Leamington Brakes Black. The boys took a 3-5-2 formation and included 4 triallists in the squad. To be fair, the performance made it look like they’d been playing this format for years! The team went 3-0 up with tap-in goals from Ayden (2) and Arjun scoring direct from an inswinging corner. Aarun also hit the bar from a trademark free kick & Phoenix made a great impression at the heart of defence on his debut. 2nd half saw significant rotation of positions to give other triallists an opportunity. This, and some rash defending, led to a brief revival from Brakes, who got 2 back from a penalty and a rebound lashed in with venom. However, the team then settled back into things with PotM Oscar & Iklil shoring up the back line, allowing the team to pour on the attack for the final 20 mins. Numerous opportunities followed with 2 goals well taken by Phoenix and then Harman Sangha, set up by Cinar & Ayden respectively. A great run out for the boys, and hopefully a fresh start for the boys after the most challenging of seasons in Division A.

Under 12 Lions faced in form Alvis Juniors Eagles in their final league game of the season. It proved a difficult game with Alvis confident and creating chances at will to take a 3-0 lead. Ehan responded with a penalty after Jan was brought down. The Lions put up a good fight in the 2nd half and only conceded one more. Harshaan was strong to repel numerous Alvis attacks and named PotM. Final Score 1-4. Whilst results haven’t always been positive the team have shown significant improvement through the season, with fixtures against the top 4 or 5 teams much closer than when they were played in the first half of the season. Grabbing some wins at key points has also ensured that the team have avoided relegation.

Under 11 Pumas were entertaining Hillmorton U11s Colts in the final game of the season. After some early pressure, the Pumas took control of the game, taking a healthy lead into the half time break with a double from Rayan Naved and Aaron Dhaliwal adding to his already impressive tally for the season. Hillmorton started the 2nd half stronger, allowing them to get themselves right back into the game. Substitutions made by the Pumas saw GNP go goal crazy in a game where they could easily have gone into double figures. A very comfortable win by the Pumas but an excellent team performance with Aaron Dhaliwal and Rayan Naved getting themselves a hat trick apiece and Casper Lord adding a couple more. After missing most of the season with a broken arm, a player of the match performance by Rayan Naved. Excellent team performance in what has been an up and down season.

Under 10 Lions were up against Bedworth Mavericks in the final game of the season. An open game, with teams evenly matched. Mavericks took the lead midway through the 1st half. Lions equalised after consistent pressure through Athrv and continued to create some really good openings but could not take the lead and were caught out after a couple of defensive lapses and found themselves down at half time. The 2nd half continued to be an evenly matched affair and GNP pulled a goal back through Ryan. Behind, but well in the game - despite creating further chances, GNP could not find the equaliser their play deserved. In the end, the Lions conceded a couple of more goals to give Bedworth Mavericks a flattering score line, but all in all, a great season for the Lions, which included a Trophy Event win and a debut season in tier 2 football. On to 9v9 football next season!

GNP Under 10 Tigers were at home to Cov Jag in the last game of the season. Tigers started off brightly but a fewTdefensive lapses meant Cov jag opened the scoring and took a heavy lead in the first half. 2nd half tigers tried and tried but the ball just didn’t go into the net. Cov Jag then increased their lead further. Tough game for the Tigers but the season has still been one of many achievements.

Under 9 Lions performed superbly against a very good Coundon Cockerels team to avenge the only defeat they had this calendar year in the league. Excellent performance by all the boys, with goals by Anopa (3), Majid and Raqeeb.

Super 6s hosted Soccer Rockz Dragons in a friendly on Sunday. After a well fought opening 10 minutes, the GNP boys went into overdrive with a fantastic team display. From front to the back they were superb. Sahib on debut in goals, Aron imperious both in front of goal and as a playmaker at the back. Rhys, Jagraaj & Joban all provided great energy up and down the wings and Rayan is developing great instincts as a pacy defender. Goals came from Aron (a double hat trick!), Jagraaj, Rhys & Rayan. Well done boys – getting better and better every week!

SUNDAY – GIRLS

Under 9 Panthers entered the Khalsa FC tournament in Leamington and came out in a creditable 3rd place on a beautiful summer’s day! After losing out to a strong Daventry team in game 1, they recovered to beat Coundon Court 2-0 in game 2 (both goals from Jodh), and secure 2nd place in their group. In the final play off game the girls performed superbly with goals from Rhea, Roop & Jodh to secure a 3-0 win and 3rd place overall. Well played girls!