'We're known as a championship club in Glenswilly and we showed that today' - McDaid

Glenswilly manager Gary McDaid is pleased with his side’s progression to the quarter-final of the Donegal Senior Football Championship and wants his outfit to build on their current momentum ahead of their next test. 

Glenswilly recorded a fine five-point victory at home to MacCumhaills on Sunday to seal their spot in the quarter-final.

Speaking after his side's 2-11 to 0-12 point win, the Glenswilly boss was both delighted and relieved to be in the draw for the last eight. 

“We’re just delighted and relieved more than anything to get our name in the hat and make that top four to get that extra week off,” McDaid told Donegal Live.

“They’ve put in a huge effort in there over the 60 minutes so it took a lot out of them, so they’ll definitely need the two weeks to recover.

“It also gives us a chance to put things into perspective. The boys are on a high now so it’s important that we bring them back down from that and build again for a fortnight.”

The game was firmly in the melting pot with just two points separating the outfits heading into the final quarter. On 51 minutes though substitute Oisin Crawford netted a pivotal goal to leave his side in a healthy position to see out the game. 

McDaid praised Crawford, who was making his first championship appearance of the season and highlighted the fortunate position that they are in with so many players pushing for minutes in the team.

“It was brilliant from Oisin Crawford, he did similar for us earlier in the summer. He’s trained really well in the last while and that’s his first senior championship game for us this year. The boys know that if they’re training hard with us then they’re going to get the opportunity to see a bit of game time”, echoed the Glenswilly manager.

He continued; “We used 20 players there today, there were some men that didn’t even get on. We are probably in a lucky place that we have plenty of men for positions and we have good backups. It makes training really good and intense because boys know that there are players outside of the 20 that are looking to get into the 20 and ones in the 20 looking to get into the starting 15.”

With this victory Glenswilly remain one of only two teams in the senior championship yet to be beaten, winning all four of their matches to date. 

McDaid has hailed the effort that his group of players has put in to date in the championship, pinning their success down to both them as well as lots of individuals in the background at the club. 

“It has been a big year for us and it’s down to a lot of people in the background and the players as well. The shift that they’ve put in during these four championship games has been phenomenal. We’re always known as a championship club up here in Glenswilly and we certainly showed that today again.”

The luxury of finishing in the top four positions in the senior championship is having a week off while the next eight teams battle it out in the preliminary quarter-final. 

The Glenswilly manager is delighted to be in this position however, he wants his side to build on their momentum and bring the same level that they have to date in the championship, with the Pairc Naomh Columba residents exiting at the last eight stage over the past number of years. 

“We’re delighted to be through. I suppose then the other thing, our captain Jack Gallagher made a point there that we have fallen at the quarter-final hurdle the last couple of years so it’s important the next day that we try and build on this momentum and bring that level again.

"If we bring that level again then we won’t be far away no matter who we meet in the quarter-final.”