Under 14 Panthers were away to Khalsa Lionesses. The Panthers put in their best performance of the season and dominated the first half but couldn’t find a way past the Khalsa keeper. The 2nd half followed the same pattern, but the Panthers eventually did find the net halfway through the second period. The Panthers looked like they had the game won but Khalsa broke in the last minute, the initial shot was saved but they followed up and scored with the rebound. An entertaining 1-1 draw but Panthers should have taken all 3 points. New recruit Eva made her debut and put in a good performance in the centre of the park.

The buoyant Under 10 Panthers came up against tough opponents this weekend. Kenilworth Wardens scored an early goal five minutes in from a corner, and a second for the Wardens came through from a dramatic goalmouth scramble. The defensive line and keeper Khloe were up against it for the whole first half. At the other end Wardens defence was well drilled with players closing down gaps quickly, making it tough for the Panthers to score. A third goal for Wardens came from a solo run and searing shot. The 2nd half was more evenly matched and saw greater hunger from the Panthers. Lots of attempts from both sides were thwarted by Warden’s goalie, and GNP keeper Poppy, with some fantastic saves on both sides. A goal from Anya was delivered with power and skill to renew hope. The final goal for the game came from new signing Anaiya, in her first match for the team, after a goalmouth battle and a strong shot. A very dramatic and exciting game throughout. Not a win this week, but a great fight back from our girls!

The Under 8 Panthers faced a strong Coventry Sphinx team in an away game. The girls gave it their all, showcasing some impressive individual performances despite the loss. The team featured seven players: Siya, Jasika, Lily, Abigail, Hargun, Tanaya, and Mihar. Lily stood out with an exceptional performance. Once again, we had fantastic support from the parents, and the team is steadily growing in confidence and understanding of the game. Go Panthers!

SATURDAY - BOYS

A selection of year 1 boys from our popular Mini Kickers Academy took to the 3G pitch at Corpus Christi for their first ever friendly match as a team against Panjab Athletic. The boys (pictured): Lucas, Tobias, Joban, Cameron, Uday, Gian & Jude absolutely loved the experience and all showed their own strengths and skills at various parts of the game. Goals were scored by Joban & Gian to take the result away from our visitors from P.A but there could have been so many more in what was a very controlled and disciplined display from a group of 5 & 6 year olds! Well done to all the kids and we look forward to great things from this group in the future!

Under 7 Tigers played away to Southam United. The boys got off to a strong start with some quick goals early in the game. Defensively the boys were outstanding, giving Southam very few chances on goal. Sahib showed a lot of energy this week supporting the team upfront, in defence and in goal. The Tigers strong performance saw plenty of goals from Rhys (5), Tobias (4), Taran (3) and Joban (2).

Under 7 Lions played Christ the King Green away. With a full squad this week the boys took a bit of time to get going in the game which led to 2 early goals being conceded. The second half the Lions played the best football they have all season - just not getting luck, hitting the post twice. Great performance from them all - as always a never give up attitude, which has been on show in every single game this season.

Under 8 Jaguars vs Sporting Rugby Raiders. In the away fixture a few weeks ago the Jaguars won a tight game after creating many chances but unable to convert them many of them into goals. It was a completely different story on home ground. Shaan and Seva shared goalkeeping duties and did very well with saves and distributing the ball up the pitch. Something being worked on in training is wing play and positioning, both were a strength today. Oryn, Bobby, Mithun and Isaac were industrious on the wings in attack and defence. Getting down the wing and crossing when going forward, and chasing back and helping the defence to win back the ball. Theo playing up front after a couple of weeks in defence, bagged an astonishing 5 goals, from long range efforts to finishing crosses off - superb forward play! Shaan, captain today, bagged a second half hat trick, and did not stop pressing. Isaac grabbed a brace and Varun scored a late goal. This new team is really finding a rhythm with 4 wins on the bounce now – keep up the great work boys!

GNP Under 8 Tigers narrowly lost in a thrilling encounter vs Soccer Rockz. GNP started well in an end-to-end battle where goals were flying in for both teams. Soccer Rockz grew into the game and took control. Gurshaan had his shooting boots on with 4 goals, and Kurren and Bishoy chipped in as well. GNP were great in attack but defensively it wasn't their best game. Kurren was PotM for his superb determination and effort.

Under 8 Lions - no update

The GNP Under 9 Pumas faced off against the GNP Jaguars again in another exciting derby match filled with end-to-end action from the opening whistle. The Jaguars struck first, gaining an early lead and then extending it further. Undeterred, the Pumas focused on their signature passing game, creating an opportunity for Harvey to score his first goal of the match, sparking a shift in momentum. The Pumas continued to press, and Harvey capitalized again, tapping in a second goal after a close effort from Musa. With renewed energy, the entire team pushed forward, combining solid defensive work with a unified midfield and striking effort. This collective determination paved the way for Musa to score the Pumas’ third and final goal of the game, to edge the game in the Pumas favour. Harvey earned Player of the Match for his involvement in all three goals. A fantastic team effort overall, and credit to the Jaguars for delivering another thrilling contest. Well done, everyone!

Under 9 Lions travelled south to face Lighthorne Spitfires. After the previous encounter it was going to be tough, but having no subs was going to make it even tougher. With a touch of nerves the Lions kicked off. The game was well balanced, but the Lions pushed hard keeping play in the Spitfires half. Fakhir opened up the scoring, slotting an effortless shot into goal. The Lions lead was short lived as the Spitfires were quick to respond with a great shot to beat our keeper. A few more chances followed with Veer, Nikhil and Fakhir all going close. With tired legs the Lions dug deep for the second half continuing to press deep into the Spitfires half, winning multiple corners. At the other end our defence managed to keep the Spitfires at bay with Manroop and Arjun also having attempts at goal as did Sehaj, trying with a long goal kick! But it wasn't to be, even Fakhir’s driving shots only hitting the woodwork. With the Lions spent the game ended a draw. Player of the match went to Veer for his sterling effort and teamwork!

SUNDAY – BOYS

GNP Under 9 Tigers played Cov Jag Youth Rovers in a home match. Both teams fought very well throughout, with no goals at half time. Tigers created plenty of opportunities and took quite a few shots at the goal. Salman struck a very good shot which hit the post, we saw many more attempts at the target by Arveer, Rajan, Eesa, Joban, Rivan and Veer, but unfortunately just couldn’t convert them into goals. Jacob made some very impressive saves again today. But Cov Jag found an opening and scored two goals in the second half to ultimately seal the match. We saw some very good tackles, passes and great ball control from Rajan, securing the POTM award.

Under 11 Lions were at home to Copsewood Spartans. Lions were dominant and after creating numerous chances went into half time 2 up after goals from Aaron and Kyle. Copsewood came back into the game and scored 3 goals in the second half to take the lead. Aaron got his second goal to equalise and Copsewood went on to take the lead once again. The Lions continued to push forward, creating numerous chances and managed to find an equaliser through Kyle late on. Man of the match went to Aaron after his first game in a number of weeks, after recovering from a hand injury. A fantastic game and credit to both teams for giving it their all.

GNP Under 11 Tigers were away at Bedworth Utd Mavericks in what was a very competitive and heated affair. Mavericks took the early advantage in the game. But Tigers hit back with a well taken goal from Shaan. The game was quite even with both teams missing chances. But Bedworth retook the lead to finish off the first half. Into the 2nd half tigers had a few chances and the game was becoming fiery, with lots of strong tackles flying in. Tigers then equalised with an Aman free kick from the half way line which flew into the net. Tigers pushed for the decisive goal and were denied with some offside decisions. But with a free kick, Mavericks edged in front, and with GNP pushing, Bedworth hit them on the break to extend the lead. Really good performance by the boys in a very competitive game.

Under 11 Pumas - no update

Under 12 Pumas were entertaining a top of the table Atherstone Hurricanes. Pumas went into the game without their regular goalkeeper, meaning some shuffling around of personnel. Evenly balanced game for the first 15 minutes with the Pumas playing some nice football, However Atherstone took the lead, and then added a 2nd. The Pumas missed an opportunity to pull one back, going into the half time break behind. The Pumas never really came out in the 2nd half giving away 2 penalties along with a further flurry of goals, leading to a heavy 0-8 defeat. A strong performance by Bahadar Dhaliwal who put in numerous strong challenges. Stand in goal keepers JJ and Ryan Lully did their best in goal against a strong and potent Hurricanes team.

Under 13 Lions hosted league leaders Stockton Spitfires who have the only 100% win record in the league and have swept aside most of their opponents this season. Missing a few players, the GNP team picked itself and the boys put in a brave 1st half performance after 2 early mistakes were punished with 2 Stockton goals. GNP hit back and created several chances of their own, finally rewarded when Ayomide’s free kick was finished off by striker Reon for his 3rd goal in 3 games and his 7th of the season. GNP continued to push hard early in the 2nd half, and on another day could have gone level, but it was Stockton who extended their lead. This seemingly deflated the spirit of the Lions who went on to concede a further 4 goals in the final quarter and give the Spitfires a flattering scoreline at the final whistle. Filip was awarded Player of the Match for a determined performance in midfield.

Despite a last minute change of venue, the Under 14 Tigers put in a great performance away to Leamington Brakes Black and came away with a deserved 4-1 victory, leapfrogging into 3rd place in the Div B League standings. Manveer, Indy and Daniel were all recognised for outstanding performances on the day - Well done Tigers!

U16s drew 2 - 2 to Leamington Community to drop their first league points of the season. The match was a very scrappy affair with the pitch not in the best state. GNP were controlling the game and went ahead on 8 mins with a goal from Archie. Not much happened for the remainder of the half. After the break the boys gave away a needless free kick just outside the box and then conceded a silly goal due to a poor wall set-up. The game was then end to end. With 7 mins to go GNP went ahead with a penalty which was dispatched by Ethan. 2 mins later, however, Leamington equalised to complete the scoring. On another day GNP could have won, but Leamington deserved a draw for their efforts.