Club championship could have been delayed to allow Donegal players rest - Gary Wilson

Gary Wilson says that the Donegal club championships should have been delayed a week to allow Donegal players a break without the consequence of missing out on club action. 

Wilson oversaw MacCumhaills’ 0-18 to 1-13 SFC away win over St Michael’s at the Bridge where neither Oisin Gallen nor Michael Langan were available. 

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But Wilson says after such a long intercounty season, he didn’t begrudge his star forward the respite as he now prepares to welcome him back into the equation against Glenswilly next time out. 

“Glenswilly are going well and it’s another huge challenge. They have real hunger and are so potent on the transition. They don’t let up. They are so aggressive in all phases. 

“They’ll have Michael Murphy back too. So we know we have a lot of work to do. Oisin was away this week for us. Personally, I felt the championship should have gone back. 

“I just thought the county lads deserved and earned that break. There is space at the back of the championship, It would have been unfair asking the likes of Oisin to come right back in. 

“He deserved that break and like the rest of the Donegal lads he needed that break”. 

Having led by 12 points going into the last ten minutes on Sunday, MacCumhaills almost capitulated and allowed themselves to be reeled into just two points in the dying seconds. 

And while the hosts did get in and around the two-point arc late on, they just couldn’t land a final blow and snatch a share of the spoils. 

Wilson agrees the Twin Towns outfit will have to improve against Gary McDaid’s men. 

“Coming down here we knew the threat St Michael’s had. We knew that their forwards posed, especially around the two-point arc. 

“There has been very little between the sides in the last few seasons. I think the game was something like 0-17 to 0-5 with ten to go. 

“And St Michael’s just decided to go for it. They landed twos and we were just looking to hold on. It’s good to get the win but it’s only two points. 

“We have to build on this from here. We never thought it was ‘job done’ at any stage today. We knew we were back out against the breeze in the second-half. 

“But I thought Martin O’Reilly was excellent with his game management. Sean Martin and Luke Gavigan were also big parts of that too”.