Kavanagh relishing clash with Crossmaglen

Leinster Club Footballer of the Year Brian Kavanagh believes that Crossmaglen Rangers are the standard bearers when it comes to the AIB All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship.

Crossmaglen stand in the way of Kavanagh's Kilmacud Crokes side and a place in the St. Patrick's Day final. The sides are set to meet in Navan on Sunday afternoon (throw-in 4.15pm).

Kavanagh, who scored 14 points during Kilmacud's victorious provincial campaign, says the standards set by Crossmaglen are those to which every club player aspires too.

"Everybody tries to emulate what they have achieved over the last few years. They are a great team with a great record in Armagh and Ulster," he said.

"Sunday's game is going to be a huge game between ourselves and Rangers and I am really looking forward to it.

"It is a great setting, a wide open pitch in Navan and hopefully it will be a good game of football."

A taste of big time football is something which Kavanagh craves, with big occasions with his native Longford a rarity.

He is thankful to get a taste of high profile knockout matches and prestigious occasions through club Championship action with Crokes.

"It is a very important competition and I do really enjoy playing in it, as I do love playing for Longford as well.

"Any day with Longford is also great, and I enjoy playing for both my club and county."

Crokes is a home away from home for Kavanagh and he says it is just like any other GAA club, with a firm community ethos at its core.

"It's a tight knit GAA club and anyone who is involved with it really gives their back bone. A lot of people training underage teams and so many volunteers.

"There is a huge support and any time you go into the club everybody has a friendly word to say to you. It's great and there is a huge atmosphere around the club at the moment."

Two years ago, Crokes and Crossmaglen locked horns at the All-Ireland final stage, with the Stillorgan-based side coming out on top in a 1-09 to 0-07 victory.

Kavanagh believes his side are equally as well prepared this time around, but that youth has been key to injecting some freshness into the current set-up.

"Those players who have come in this year have made the difference, like Pat Duggan, Ronan Ryan and Craig Dias. They have all added extra impetus to our team and are driving us on," he added.

"I suppose everyone else is taking an extra bit of leadership because of all the players that were missing from the Dublin panel. It's an evolving team every year."

Crossmaglen's defence has received many plaudits over the years and Kavanagh knows nothing will come easy this Sunday as the talented forward attempts to craft some scores.

"They have a great defence and they have been known to shut out teams year after year and keep them to very low scores.

"We know that we will have to be extremely economical with the ball when we do get it up the field and that is the firm challenge that is being put to us this weekend."