7:40am Saturday 9th February 2008
By Andrew Penman
WITH his strike partner Craig Hughes suspended, the emphasis will be on Charlie Griffin to fire County to victory at St Albans today.
The West Country assassin is top scorer with 16 goals this season and a year after joining the Exiles on Valentine's Day 2007 he's enjoying life at Spytty Park.
"These are exciting times for everyone at the club," he said.
"We really feel we're going places and hopefully we can keep getting the results and secure promotion.
"The fans have been brilliant, they're the best in the league by a mile and they deserve success so hopefully we can give it to them.
"Everyone has worked so hard. We have the nicest job of going out to play but behind the scenes the backroom boys deserve credit, too."
The former Bristol Rovers schoolboy has formed a lethal partnership with Hughes this season, with the pair on 24 league goals between them, but Griffin believes Julian Alsop and Jermaine Clarke have also played their part.
"Craig and I have obviously formed an understanding and clicked really well," said the 28-year-old.
"He's a big character and we'll definitely miss him today, but it's a squad game and Jermaine and Jules are great players.
"They've both proved that already this season, coming in and scoring crucial goals, so whoever plays today will do a job for us."
The Exiles should still have the firepower to overcome third from bottom St Albans but Griffin is taking nothing for granted.
"The fans will be expecting us to go there and pick up an easy three points but it won't be easy," he said.
"Teams down the bottom are fighting for their lives and it will be a real battle but as long as we're professional and work hard then we're confident of getting another good win.
"We haven't played the same flowing football away as we have at home but we've started to grind out results on the road and that's what you need to do if you want to win promotion."
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