Playoffs begin in Boston

The Boston GAA season has reached the playoff stages for the senior football championship. The final placings were decided last Sunday, with Galway eliminating Christopher's by the slenderest of margins and earning themselves a semi-final place in the process. A one point win got Galway left Christopher's on the bottom of the table and it is the Shannon Blues who live to contest a quarter final next Sunday.

The Blues are not going to have it easy by any means as the team they face, Donegal, is strongly fancied to be raising the cup on August 28. Donegal have an array of talent in their lineup, including not only the likes of Gavin "fireman" Gallagher and Louthman Brian Donnelly in midfield but added star power of Ger Brennan in the half back line and Derrymen, Paddy and Eoin Bradley in the forwards.

If the Blues have anything it is a spirit that has carried the club since its foundation in the 1980s. The Blues were all but written off a few short weeks ago, yet gave themselves a chance with a powerful win against the Connemara Gaels two weeks ago. With Trevor "Twiggy" Wallace and Denis McElligott sure to put up a committed rearguard action and Conor Cox along with Ian Parker ready for action the game might be closer than you think.

Last Sunday the Connemara Gaels and Aidan McAnespies met in their regular season outing, and will do it all over again on Sunday only this time the loser's season is all done. For the winner the reward will be a meeting with Galway or Wolfe Tones in the semi-finals. It was a battle royale between the teams last week, and depending on the stage of the game, each side would have been justified in thinking that they had the winning of it. McAnespies lineup contains a combination of power and precision. Precision from the likes of center forward Kevin McKernan who can score from all angles, and power from the running of Conor Daly from the half back line.

The Gaels fortunes will depend on which Connemara Gaels shows up on Sunday. Will it be the Gaels that blew Donegal out of the water in the first half a few weeks ago or the team that fell to the Shannon Blues a week later? Midfielder Ryan Hyde is a leader on the team and as Hyde goes, so do the Gaels, and the likes of Gaels stalwarts Sean Conneely and Ryan Caffrey will be giving it their all. These games have hinged on a moment or two of brilliance or misfortune, and Sunday is likely to feature the unexpected when least expected.

The first championship final of the season will be played when Donegal and the Connemara Gaels meet on Saturday evening at 5:30. Defending champions Donegal emerged victorious when the teams met just over a month ago and will be looking to retain the championship. This is the first year that the Gaels have fielded a junior B side and will their work cut out on Saturday.

The senior hurling placements will also be decided. It is looking like Galway into the final with Fr. Tom Burke's and Tipperary in a semi-final a week from Sunday, unless Wexford can overcome Galway, and looking for a Fr. Tom's beat Tipperary, then we have a midweek playoff scenario.

In junior A football the Wolfe Tones and Shannon Blues have the big game at the weekend. A Tones will will see three teams level on points looking for two places, and again midweek playoff scenario looms. Junior A hurling looks like Offaly will be seeing playoff action in their first season, along with Galway, Tipperary and Fr. Tom's in the semi-finals the following weekend. A busy weekend coming up, and possibly a busy week to follow to determine the semi-final shakeout.

Junior B Football Final

Saturday August 13 at 5:30 - Connemara Gaels v Donegal

Senior Football Quarter Finals

Sunday August 14

2:30 Aidan McAnespies v Connemara Gaels

5:00 Donegal v Shannon Blues

Full schedule of games at www.bostongaa.com.

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