Mum's the word on the lips of cup star Griffiths

Oct 28 2009 By Paul Warburton, Staines News

LEROY Griffiths has his mum Beverley to thank for sorting out his finances so he can keep his football dream alive.

The striker, whose acrobatic strike beat Hayes & Yeading 1-0 on Saturday and handed Staines Town a shot at more FA Cup glory, admits his Blue Square South pay packet doesn't allow for some of the finer things in life - but the 32-year-old still wants to show why he played league football for QPR seven years ago.

Griffiths fondly remembers hitting a brace against a full-strength Chelsea to beat the Premiership giants 3-1 in a pre-season friendly - and he's only too aware time is running out to grab another slice of glory.

He said: "We have a great club here at Staines and our fans are tremendous. Against Hayes they never stopped singing from the first minute to the last, and I owe it to them and myself to do the best I can for Staines - and that means I only play football, rather than take a part-time job.

"My mum has been a rock, and she's the one I depend on to sort out this and that - and yeah, I openly admit she makes sure the bills get paid. I only hope I can pay her back by what I do on the pitch.

"I know I'm not going to go on for too long in my position - although I look at someone like Ryan Giggs and draw some inspiration from how long he's been able to play in a forward position."

Griffiths connected with a back header on the half-hour mark to line up an away tie at League Two Shrewsbury on Saturday week - and win the chance to emulate history when Staines knocked Stockport out of the old trophy at the same stage in 2007.

But the player reckons his teammates are going to have to be a lot sharper in front of goal than they have been in the first two months of the Blue Square South season if they are to spring a surprise at the New Meadow.

Swans lie a comfortable 12th, but have scored only 15 goals in 13 games - the sixth-lowest in the division - and Griffiths claims they would be in the top two had they taken their chances.

"I'm not going to name names," he said, "but we should have scored at least another 12 goals, and it's not really down to me. I'm playing a deeper role, setting stuff up - the goal on Saturday was a real bonus."