A big weekend with our 2 eldest boys junior teams in League Cup Quarter Final action and some tremendous performances and results coming in from all over the club!

SATURDAY – GIRLS

The Under 8 Panthers played away against SoccerRockz Panthers in cold and damp conditions. The team battled hard for the start and we will pleased to see some great improvements on the pitch. Siya scored two second half goals and the team defended well throughout. As always, the support from family and friends was much appreciated!

GNP Under 10 Panthers hosted SJB Juniors with what proved to be a brilliant and confident triumph for our girls. The first half kicked off at pace with an early run from Khloe providing a well placed pass for Elizabeth to secure the first goal. A minute later, Khloe led the attacking charge again - her powerful shot was parried by the keeper to Anya who was perfectly positioned to dispatch the rebound. Poppy stayed alert in goals when tested with some muddy dives! Jodh finished off a confident solo run with GNP’s third goal. The second half saw no let-up, Jodh setting up a fantastic opportunity which Rhea pounced on and scored. Excellent defence from Lily thwarted a few spirited opposition runs. Great battling from Prema and Rhea led Jodh to another great assist for Rhea's 2nd goal of the match and the Panthers’ 5th. Jodh scored two more goals to complete her hat trick. Khloe smashed in their 8th past the keeper and the final attack of the match saw Roop deliver a pass which was expertly collected and spun in by Anaiya for the Panther's 9th goal! Amazing work girls!

Under 13 Panthers were up against Alvechurch Foundation. Evenly matched game in the first half with Orna pulling off some fantastic double saves and keeping the Panthers in it. Rose and Anayah controlled the midfield well with Mankirat unlucky on a couple of occasions with decent opportunities on goal. Ramneek continued to impress with her pressing. Second half led to a couple of defensive mix ups meaning Alvechurch were presented with simple opportunities to score a couple of goals. Lizzy continued to make her amazing runs but no support available meaning the ball came straight back into the Panthers half. Final score being 2-0 to Alvechurch.

Under 14s Panthers were at home on a heavy pitch against Kenilworth Wardens. The Panthers were without 4 of the squad and went down 12-0 but battled until the end.

SATURDAY – BOYS

GNP Under 12 Tigers hosted Coventry United. The game was played on a slow muddy pitch. GNP coach advised his players to play three touch football as the ball wasn’t moving at any pace and it was GNP who come out flying with 2 goals from Muhamadou. GNP piled on further pressure and went into half time 4-0 up with Josiah adding to the goals and Muhamadou completing his hat trick. The second half began with both sides really going for it and Cov United had some fine chances, which were saved by Jenson in goals and a worldie clearance by Prabh off the line. However, soaking the pressure GNP countered brilliantly with Josiah completing a hat trick of his own and Muhamadou taking his tally to 4 goals. All round brilliant performance and players of the match today picked out from the 9 were Jenson in goals, Prabh in defence and Muhamadou from the left wing. Well done. Full Time 7-0.

The Under 9 Pumas faced Wellesbourne Wanderers away, looking to bounce back after a defeat a couple weeks ago. The Pumas started strong, with Ife delivering excellent long balls to break through the opposition’s defence. Despite multiple early attempts, the Wellesbourne goalkeeper made some outstanding saves to keep the Pumas from taking the lead. The Pumas conceded first but remained determined. Their persistence paid off when Yash calmly slotted the ball into the net to equalize. In the second half, the Pumas played brilliant football, only to be denied again by more great goalkeeping. However, a perfectly placed pass split the midfield and found Harvey, who broke through the defence and coolly slotted the ball past the keeper. The team worked together, holding their positions and defending solidly to see out the win. POTM: Yash for an outstanding performance in both defence and attack.

GNP Under 9 Jaguars were playing away at Leek Wootton. From the first whistle, the opposition scored quite quickly due to a lapse in concentration. The Jaguars then started to build attacking momentum and with some great 1-2 play between Jake and Agam, Jake scored the equaliser and he was able to get another just before the half to give Jaguars the lead at the break. Jaguars started the second half like they ended the first, on the front foot. Raylan was able to get one with Agam and Angad getting one each giving us a comfortable lead. Due to some defensive errors the opposition scored a couple of goals in reply and were slowly catching up. Angad switched the play and played two long balls through to Raylan who was able to put these away to get his hat trick and also give Jaguars a healthy lead before the final whistle.

On a cold and damp morning the Under 9 Lions hosted Lawford United. It might have been the conditions or the early kick off but the Lions struggled to find their form early on. The Lions created opportunities but pressing deep into the opponents half left us exposed in defence. Lawford capitalised, taking on Sehaj one on one and finding the net. The half-time team talk spurred the Lions to gel as a team. With improved passing and teamwork they created more chances, hitting the woodwork and getting shots at goal. However, the Lawford's striker pushed his way through our defence for another goal. The Lions picked themselves up and pushed hard. This was the break Fakhir needed, placing an effortless shot past the keeper. Veer also got in on the action, striking a superb shot in the top corner. Lawford didn't give up without a fight, but Giyaan stepped up to the challenge kept them at bay, resulting in the POTM award for his strength and determination in defence. A slow start but the boys stepped up as a team, well done!

The Under 8 Pumas got their first win of the new year, playing away against Coventrians Phoenix. An early goal helped to settle the team into the match, and some good passing meant that we were able to push on. A power-play for the opposition made it a much more even game in the second half, but our boys hung on for the result. Special mentions for Dayal who was brilliant in goal; Aarush for scoring a brace; and Jodhbeer for scoring an important hat-trick.

Under 8 Jaguars played host to Rugby Borough Hawks in what proved to be a thrilling match. Both teams competed fiercely early on with GNP edging the better chances. Oryn and PotM Bobby were electric on the wings and Seva was always alert in goals. Isaac & MIthun controlled the game well from the back giving GNP the platform to establish an early lead through goals from Oryn, Bobby & striker Theo. The middle quarters saw the game turn into a bit of scrap with a series of unnecessary and continuous off the ball fouls from one or two of the Hawks players. This period of play seemed to unsettle GNP and the away team somehow pulled things all level with a quarter to play. However, at that stage, GNP found another gear. Stan stabilized the defence again, Oryn completed his hat trick and provided renewed threat on the wings with Varun, but Theo had a final 10 minutes to remember, finding the net on 4 further occasions with bullet shots raining in from all angles, one after the other, allowing GNP to pull away deservedly at the end for a sweet victory!

Under 8 Lions played Southam United at home this week. The boys started the game on an even keel with quick goals from both sides. A quick decision from Arthur to square the ball to Harvey to score was fantastic from the boys. The boys' spirit began to dwindle in the 2nd quarter with an onslaught from the opposition. In the third quarter, the boys fought back with some goals from Arthur. Balraj and Sam defended the goal to their best of ability and some great tackles from Harnam and Leo. Even with all of their efforts, the boys were not able to even the score. Good luck to the boys for next week

GNP Under 8 Tigers were second best against Soccer Rockz. The pitch was in poor condition which didn't help Tigers' game. Jibreel put in a strong performance in goal and defence. Neal scored a brace and Gurshaan hit the net too along with an own goal. GNP Tigers will be hoping to put in a better performance next week.

On a cold Saturday morning the Under 7 Lions were away to Vision. The first 10 mins both set of boys evened each other out with great defending to keep it 0-0. Jagraaj showed strength down the right wing beating players at every opportunity. Thomas showed amazing energy throughout, making last gasp tackles and carrying the ball out of danger for the Lions. Luca as always showed great feet on the left wing skipping past players. The breakthrough came when Dhillan applied pressure winning the ball back to slip a cross into Kiaan who scored a brilliant goal to put the Lions 1 up. The Lions defended so well keeping the game in their grasp going into the last 10 mins, Elliott made sure he was in the right place at the right times as always sweeping up at the heart of the defence. Deep into the last few minutes Dhillan picked the ball up driving at the opposition won a free kick on the edge of the box, Theo produced a piece of magic scoring a stunning free kick to top off his great performance. The Lions dug in deep until the final whistle, winning their second game in a row and keeping a rare clean sheet. Man of the match went to Kiaan with an outstanding performance showing great energy and passion!

SUNDAY – BOYS

Under 16s came up against strong Div A opposition in Coventry United Green in the Quarter finals of the League cup. Boys were told before the game started, to go out and give it their all against opposition from the top league. The message was clear and the boys responded well. After 9 minutes Zaid assisted Tom to put GNP 1-0 up. Ajay made it 2 after 21 mins with a superb finish. Unfortunately, a minute before half time they conceded to have their lead narrowed. 2nd half Tyler created a brilliant assist for Zaid to put the boys 3 -1 up on 45 mins. 5 mins later Cov United pulled one back again, but soon after Ethan converted a pen to make it 4- 2. The 2nd half seemed to go on forever and it allowed Cov Utd to get 2 goals back, including an equalizer in injury time. Just when it looked as though the tie was headed for penalties, Ethan popped up with a superb free kick for Tom to score a bullet header for the winner! GNP progress to the semi finals with the cup draw taking place on Tuesday.

Under 14 Tigers faced Coventry Sphinx in another Cup Quarter final. The boys started off very well at home against a side competing at the top of Division A and scored the first goal. The first half saw some great football and GNP made Sphinx fight for everything, leaving it at 1-2 at the break. However, the second half things changed with Sphinx establishing their superiority and running out clear winners.

Under 13 Lions played their return league fixture at home against Coventry United Whites and gave a controlled 1st half display all over the pitch. The back four of Ryan, William, Dom & Milad were imperious and impenetrable with Caleb always alert behind them. The midfield 3 of Filip, Arjun and Max were in complete control and the latter two combined early on with a sweet one-two combination, Max releasing Arjun with the final pass for Arjun to coolly slot home the opening goal. The boys continued to pressurize through our industrious front 3 of Mario & Mohammed, wide of lone striker Reon, but were unable to add to their 1st half tally. Jasraj & Pavan came off the bench to good effect, Pavan in the CDM position and impressed with his aggressive tackling as well as a couple of positive moments of ball carrying to secure the PotM award. 2nd half was largely similar and the boys created even more threat playing downhill. Filip set up Reon who fired home the 2nd goal at the near post from a fierce strike, and Max was rewarded for a cultured display with a 3rd goal late on from close range from another Filip assist. Final score 3-0 to GNP and a really positive performance! Up 3 places to 6th in the league!

Under 13 Tigers visited Rugby Borough Colts on a slopy pitch and played up the steep hill 1st half. Despite this it was an even game with very little to split the teams. A freakish goal separated the teams at the break, with Iklil seemingly being fouled from behind in his own box. The ref seemed ready to blow his whistle for the foul but played on as Iklil held off the pressure and passed back to his keeper. As our keeper went to clear his lines, the attacker charged down the clearance with the ball rebounding straight into the net. A disappointing goal to concede but the manager’s protests for the foul fell on deaf ears. GNP started the 2nd half energized and playing downhill,created plenty of threat down the right via Cinar, Harman B & our PotM Ehan. Harman Sangha’s cross shot slid just wide, Cinar skewed a shot just wide from 10 yards after a cross from the left, and then Emmanuel was set free and beat the keeper before being agonizingly denied by the retreating defender’s goal line clearance. It wasn’t to be for GNP and the Colts held on for a tight victory. The Tigers recent 5 match winning run feels a distant memory now as they are now 3 games without a point. Lots of work to do to get back on track!

Under 12 Pumas were away to Hillmorton Colts. Pumas managing to secure the win against Hillmorton Colts despite a below par performance, played on a very poor surface. Pumas were the stronger team, and had joy down the left side with Armaan battling away, up and down the flank. Pumas exploited the weaknesses down the left wing with Nathan racing away on goal, only to smash his shot into the side netting. Nathan did add to his already impressive tally by putting the Pumas ahead at the half time break. Tactical substitution, bringing on left footed winger Aiden O Reilly who used his pace to his advantage, causing the Hillmorton defence some problems. Pumas broke away with Nathan outpacing the Hillmorton defence and adding a 2nd and then a 3rd goal with a carbon copy of the 2nd. Bahadar Dhaliwal earned himself the Pumas player of the match with a dominant display in midfield.

GNP Under 11 Pumas vs Whitley Juniors. It was an exhilarating match as the GNP Pumas secured a commanding away victory, netting an impressive 12 goals. The team showcased a well-structured passing game that left the opposition struggling to keep up. Despite conceding three penalties, only one resulted in a goal, with Sam making two outstanding saves on the remaining attempts. The team’s attacking prowess was on full display, with Lekan scoring a remarkable eight goals, Jaiden, Jaxx, Kian and Faris each contributing one.

Under 11 Lions were up against CTK on a fixture we managed to get reversed, as their pitch was not playable. GNP were in control for most of the game, dictating the play and creating numerous chances. We went into half time break one ahead after goals from Sehaj, Aaron and Athrv. After a few questionable referee decisions, CTK managed to score 3 goals in the 2nd half and leave GNP chasing. GNP continued to dominate and create plenty of great chances, but could not find any goals in the 2nd half. Player of the match went to Kyle for his continued effort and good play - on another day, he could have easily had a double hat trick.

Under 11 Tigers were at home to Grove Farm Pavilion. Game started off even but Grove Farm stamped their authority on the game and scored within the first 5 mins. The conditions not helping, Grove Farm increased their lead further in the first half. Tigers started off the second half brightly but again Grove Farm were deadly on the break, and further increased their lead. One of those days for the Tigers but todays opposition are a very good, well-drilled team.

Under 10 Tigers (pictured) played Bedworth United Blazers away from home. The Tigers were looking to build on their win last week and started positively with calm build up play. Some good opportunities fell to Harrison, Akaalvir and Nathaniel as we carved open the home side, however it was a long range effort that broke the deadlock from Dharam which nestled into the bottom corner. The second half had more chances but the Tigers failed to make them count, the last 10mins became very nervy, Kyan had to pull off some fantastic saves to keep the hosts at bay. Tigers held on, PotM went to Kyan for a host of important saves. The team overall impressed with their passing and movement off the ball. On to next week!

GNP Under 9 Tigers hosted Vision Titans, and the Titans made a great start. GNP Tigers seemed to try too hard from the start, attacking solo and lost a few opportunities. The Titans kept to quick short passes and put great pressure on the Tigers. The Tigers eventually woke up, when Arveer made a neat pass for Eesa to finish off a good goal. Soon Veer finished another goal from an assist by Josiah, and then returned the favour to assist Josiah’s strike. The Tigers then dominated the rest of the game with Josiah notching another goal after he won the ball himself in midfield. We saw some really good saves from Jacob, and Joban performed strongly today to win the PotM. The Titans regrouped nearer to the end of the game and found the back of the net, but the Tigers had a greater lead and hence retained their unbeaten streak this calendar year!