Family guy Griffin hoping to get the better of the Fighting Cocks

LEINSTER CLUB JFC PREVIEW

Family Guy fans will be well aware of Peter Griffin's great battles over the years with Ernie the Giant Chicken.

Whether or not the famous Seth McFarlane animation is popular in the Athboy area, the community will be hoping that their joint captain, Daragh Griffin, can put in a similar performance to his man of the match display against Kilkenny side Glenmore in the opening round of provincial action and lead Clann na nGael to victory against the Fighting Cocks in Saturday's Leinster Club JFC encounter at Fenagh, 1.30pm.

Clann na nGael made a good start to their Leinster JFC opener as they raced into an early 1-3 to 0-1 lead over Glenmore, but the cobwebs from the celebrations lingered and in the end, they were made to work hard for their victory.

That may have been just what the Athboy/Rathcairn side needed. They kept their opposition at arm's length but they also had to stretch their legs and open up their lungs.

While Darragh Griffin led by example in the middle of the park, it was their Meath JFC final hero Tomas Doyle who did most of the scoring and he finished with a fine tally of 1-8.

The Fighting Cocks received a bye in their Leinster opener, allowing them some recovery time. Their dangerous full-forward line of Cillian Fagan, Alan Quigley and Aaron Dowling contributed 2-8 in their Carlow JFC final victory over Leighlinbridge.

The Fighting Cocks certainly won't make this an easy task for Clann na nGael. They have some quality footballers within their ranks and the home draw is an obvious bonus.

However, Niall McLoughlin’s charges might be that bit more sharper. They were very good winners of the Meath JFC, and that usually translates to a decent run in Leinster, so a defeat at this stage would probably be a premature exit from the competition. Clann na nGael to get over the line away from home in Carlow.