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Griffiths takes a day off from Hibs

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Leigh GriffithsAny other year Leigh Griffiths would be rooting for Hibs to beat Falkirk today.

This afternoon’s Scottish Cup semi-final gives the Edinburgh side the opportunity to reach their third Scottish Cup Final in four years.

Griffiths knows as well as anyone the pain that the competition has inflicted on Leith club having been at the sharp end of the final defeats in 2012 and 2013.

Two years ago he led an inspired comeback from 3-0 down to overcome Falkirk but today he will cut a more detached figure as the events at Hampden unfold.

The bookies are expecting a Celtic v Hibs final next month with the in-form hoops striker admitting that such a fixture is one that he’d rather avoid.

Asked if he fancied that prospect Griffiths admitted: “Honest answer? No but if they get there, it will be great for the club but I’m just concentrating on doing my job for Celtic.”

Inverness Caley Thistle will present Griffiths with enough of a challenge as he aims to complete his domestic medal collection.

As he fires Celtic towards the treble it’s hard to remember how close he came to being sent out on loan earlier in the season- with another stint at Easter Road the obvious destination.

Teemu Pukki was Ronny Deila’s first choice striker as the season opened with Griffiths at times struggling to find a place on the bench.

The arrival of John Guidetti provided more competition for the one striking place in the side but as the prizes are about to be handed out Griffiths is now Deila’s first choice striker.

“I had to improve,” he admitted. “I wasn’t playing at the start of the season and had a talk with the manager and JC.

“Thankfully, since the turn of the year, I have knuckled down and they are seeing the rewards now.

“What did they say to me? I had to be working hard in the gym and working hard to get my fitness levels up. I did that and I have been bang on form.

“When I was at Hibs, I would have been the first name on the team sheet given the goals I had scored but coming here put me at a massive club and then a new manager came in who wanted his own philosophy followed.”

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