The start of another season is upon us, and it promises to be bigger and better than ever at GNP Sports FC, with 25 juniors teams competing this season, another record number of teams for the club! 4 new teams made their competitive bow this weekend, so a special well done to all of the kids and coaches from our new Under 7 Tigers, Under 7 Lions, Under 8 Panthers & Under 8 Jaguars!
22 matches to round up below, and some incredible achievements already!

SATURDAY - BOYS

Under 7 Tigers played away against Alvis Colts. The boys had a cracking start with 2 goals in quick succession from Joban and Aron. They were well supported by Rayan in defence, Sahib in goal and with Rhys battling hard to win the ball back and running without fear at Alvis. This team effort enabled Tobias to add to our lead. In the 2nd half Alvis came back strong and took the lead. Suddenly trailing, the boys found their rhythm again and another goal added by Joban. Taran made a great run from half way to score and many more goals were added from Aron with the team assisting. Well done boys - superb effort!

Under 7 Lions faced a much more experienced Coventry Phoenix Blaze opposition in their 1st evaluation game. It proved to be a mismatch but the boys acquitted themselves with great effort given the circumstances. Jagraaj was relentless and was well backed up by Dhillan and Leo, with Dhillan grabbing the only GNP goal of the game. Well done to all 6 of the boys for their 1st ever competitive game!

Under 8 Jaguars visited Coventrians Phoenix in their league debut as a brand new team. Coached by Alex and Vik, the boys all showed great understanding of their positions & responsibilities and flew into a massive lead, with goals coming at regular intervals, primarily from captain Bobby who finished with a remarkable 6 goals! All the boys played their part and the lead was extended in the 2nd half despite the powerplay rule being implemented. PotM was Bobby with further goals added from Oryn (2), Mithun & Stanley. Well done lads!

Under 8 Tigers faced Meriden Lions with new boys Neal & Bishoy making their debuts, and came out on top in an end to end game. Great start to the season for the Tigers!

Under 8 Lions were up against Alvis Colts at home in their first game of the season. Started off well with Lions taking an early lead, scoring 2 goals in first 10 minutes of the game which pushed Alvis onto the back foot. The lead was maintained into the half time break with Arthur completing a hat trick on his Lions debut! Good play all around by everyone. The match finished with a goal by Sam, direct from a corner kick, to seal a fine opening day performance & perfect start to the season!

Under 8 Pumas were away to the Rugby Borough Eagles. The scoreline swung one way and then the other. Although it was a narrow loss, it was a great first game with some heartening performances, especially from our two new players Jodhbeer and Louie, the latter scoring four fabulous goals!

The Under 9 Jaguars played away their first game of the season against Lawford United. The boys performed well, with Angad and Raylan setting up Agam for the first goal, followed by another goal shortly after. Agam showed great skill in getting past two defenders and scoring a hat trick, giving us a comfortable lead before half-time. In the second half, we scored again with a great half volley by Jake, which was deflected in. Although the opposition managed to score a couple of goals in the second half, the Jaguars remained resilient and focused, securing our first victory of the season. The player of the match was Raylan for providing three assists and displaying unwavering determination.

Under 9 Lions visited Firefighters with the bare 7 players and with debutants Ksawery and Nikhil lining up for the 1st time in the league! The boys battled hard throughout in the drizzle and never gave in to keep an impressive clean sheet. Unfortunately they couldn't break through at the other end with a physically dominant defender seemingly impassable!

SATURDAY - GIRLS

Under 8 Panthers hosted their first ever league match vs Hillfield A F C. The girls put in a tremendous effort all round. Whilst the result didnt go their way, it was one dominant stand-out player from the opposition who made all the difference between two closely matched teams. Most importantly the girls seemed to have great fun - well done to Siya, Abigail, Tanaya, Mihar, Jasika, Hargun & Lily on the start of their competitive football journey!

SJB hosted our Under 10 Panthers. The first match of the season was a triumph for GNP and a fantastic start to the girls' season. The first half saw Panthers dominating, forcing an own goal. A couple of great saves from Poppy provided determination for the girls to build on their lead. This led to a phenomenal DOUBLE hat trick from Elizabeth in the first half with 2 assists from Jodh. This included a dramatic goalmouth scramble which seemingly saw every GNP player strike shots on target before Elizabeth thrashed home the final rebound. The 2nd half saw 2 brilliant goals from Jodh, both assisted by Lily. Today the girls were relentless with contributions from all over the pitch, leading to a very one-sided scoresheet. Well done Panthers!

The Under 11 Panthers kicked off the season against Knowle Girls, playing 9v9 for the first time. The game saw 3 debutants starting for the team having never played any football in previous seasons. Peyton in defence, Isla in midfield and Kaleesha playing right wing. The girls played very well, creating numerous chances throughout the game. The lack of subs didn’t stop the girls from competing well against a well drilled team. Kia contributed with a couple of key saves, with goals from Avneet and debutant Kaleesha. Well done girls!

Under 13 Panthers had a brilliant start to their debut season in new 11v11 format, playing away against Sutton Coldfield with no subs available. The Panthers dominated the first half of the game and after missing out on a goal ruled out for offside, Mankirat's perseverance through injury led to her scoring a fantastic goal. The opposition equalised following a free kick but were denied a second goal, with Orna providing a dramatic penalty save. Finishing 1-1, the Panthers should be proud of their performance. Special mentions to our many debutants: Hannah, Rose, Lilly-Rose & Maya who all contributed to a vital first point in the league!

Under 14 Panthers kicked off the season with their first 11 a side game away to Kenilworth Wardens. The girls battled well but went down 7-2 in a scoreline that flattered the hosts.

SUNDAY - BOYS

Under 14s entertained Leamington Brakes - What an explosive start to the season with 3 penalties and a red card rolled in. Tigers started slow and made a few errors in the 1st half, going down by 2 goals, but a super goal by Aayan pulled things back, lobbing the keeper from some distance. Tigers raised their game in the 2nd half and played so much better - a goal by Anesu levelled them up. Despite being down to 10 men for long periods the Tigers played well but unfortunately conceded a goal at the very end to lose 2-3. Well done to the boys who all put in a lot of effort today.

Under 13 Tigers league season starts next week so they warmed up with a friendly vs Coventry Phoenix Blaze and what a game it was! A closely fought 1st half was edged by Phoenix 2-0 and they extended their lead from the spot when Enoch brought down the attacker in the box early in the 2nd half. GNP, however, ramped up the intensity, led by Harshaan & Harman B in midfield, and wing-back Harman S forced a goal by dispossessing the defender before slotting into the empty net. The 2nd followed when Aaron D latched onto 2 direct passes through the middle via Wiktor, then Oscar. Enoch pounced on a loose clearance from Cinar's dangerous cross to equalise, and then Aaron D sealed a remarkable comeback victory when he took PotM Cinar's through ball in his stride, rounded the keeper with poise, and then slotted in joyfully to spark home celebrations!

Under 13 Lions fielded a revamped squad for their league opener away to Stockton following numerous incomings and outgoings this summer. Understandably, there was a lack of organisation defensively at the start and Stockton capitalised, scoring 5 goals in a largely one-sided 1st half. However the Lions re-grouped; defensively lessons were learnt, led by a magnificent debut performance by PotM William at centre back, and GNP managed 2 goals on the counter attack through Reon and Mohamed to spark hopes of another amazing U13 comeback today. Chances came thick and fast at both ends, with keeper Harman in inspired form, and Milad putting in a fantastic 2nd half performance at left back. However, Stockton pushed on to score 3 more late on and secure a comfortable victory in the end. Plenty of positives to finish on, and take into the next game at home.

Under 12 Pumas started the season with an away game against Atherstone Hurricanes. A new look Pumas trying to avenge their heavy defeat at the end of last season. Slow start by the Pumas going down to 2 early goals before new signing Nathan Ngu, playing his first ever league game, scored to bring GNP back into the game. Atherstone further extended their lead before Nathan notched a 2nd just before half time to give the Pumas a fighting chance. A good 2nd half performance by the Pumas, but still gifting another 4 goals to Atherstone. Casper Lord scored late on courtesy of an assist from Ryan Lully. Notably, we saw excellent debut performances by the Pumas new boys, Mikaeel Hussain, Khurun Surpal and Nathan Ngu.

GNP Under 11 Tigers were at away in the Trophy event opener at Coventry Sphinx. Great viewing in an end to end game. First half GNP controlled the game playing some fantastic football without early reward. However, the Tigers went 1 up after a penalty was expertly tucked away by Aman. 2nd half again saw some missed opportunities by the Tigers but they went further up with a great looping effort that hit the back of the net. Sphinx pulled one back right at the death but it wasn't enough to deny GNP. Well done to all the boys!

Under 11 Lions were away against Stockton in the Trophy event. GNP started the game slowly and Stockton were on top for the opening 15 minutes, taking an early lead. GNP then played their way into the game, creating a few chances. With the pressure, GNP were awarded a penalty. A good strike from Sehaj but it struck the bar and bounced back into play. GNP stayed on top but couldn’t find the equaliser. In the 2nd half, GNP took a few more risks in search of the goal and ended up conceding 2 more goals. A tough first game of the season against a well organised and talented Stockton team.

GNP Under 11 Pumas visited Southam United in their Trophy event opener. A well organised Southam United (who play 1 tier higher) controlled the game from start to finish, limiting Pumas to a handful of chances during the game. Pumas conceded 3 goals in the first half. Mason got a goal back for the Pumas. The 2nd half was more of the same with the Pumas conceding a further 6 goals with Maaven scoring a 2nd consolation. Sam was outstanding in goals, making some amazing saves during the game for the Pumas. A difficult opening game but one which the team will learn from!

Under 10 Tigers were away to Chapelfields Colts Knights for their opening game of the season. Tigers were on top for the majority of the first half and created a hatful of chances and were rewarded by two goals from debutants Harrison and Akaalvir. Colts were gifted a goal by an unfortunate GNP og. 2nd half, Tigers continued to press forward and created more chances. The Colts keeper was in fine form but couldn't stop Akaalvir and Harrison grabbing another goal each. Colts managed a consolation goal late on, but it turned out to be a comfortable game for the Tigers. PotM was Akaalvir, 2 goals and an assist to seal a cracking debut!

Under 9 Tigers were hosting Vision Spartans in their league opener - a brilliant effort by the Tigers, who despite going behind 3 times, always came back. There were some brilliant assists by Salman, Josiah and Rajan who also managed to bag a goal himself. Debutant Joban grabbed a fantastic hat-trick with his positional play up top. As the Tigers battled to take the lead, Jacob pulled off some great saves to keep us in it. Eesa never gave up and was unlucky not to grab a goal; Rivan looked assured in defence, always maintaining the pressure; Veer gave a good account of himself after a month out and assisted Rajan's goal. It was however Arveer’s hat-trick and superb overall display with assists and defending that earned him the Player of the Match. A great start by the Tigers with a comfortable enough victory to kick off their season.