Kildare's brilliant performance against Cork was a long time coming, according to manager Jason Ryan.

The revitalised Lilywhites have put a terrible spring campaign behind them to set up a mouth-watering All-Ireland SFC quarter-final against Kerry next weekend.

"Oh yeah, it's Kildare's first time beating a Division 1 team in the Championship in quite some time," a delighted Ryan told Sky Sports.

"So we're not looking at a year or two years, we're looking at a long time. It's massive for us - really, really good. Great for the guys' confidence, great for their belief.

"The last two years we haven't been playing football in the quarter-finals so now we're back in the quarter-finals and it's just brilliant. I'm delighted."

Ryan was full of praise for the attitude his players have shown since their 19-point Leinster SFC semi-final drubbing by Dublin. 

"Well, I think the Dublin game really hurt us, it was a game that refocused [us], and getting over the Offaly match was really, really sticky.

"Our focus since the Offaly game, in particular, has been excellent.

"The guys themselves deserve all the credit for picking themselves up after the Dublin game and the performance today - the players' attitude and the intensity with which they played - and I suppose the first half in particular, the way we were taking the ball well, and for most of our scoring chances, when they came along, we executed them.

"We were that bit more clinical than maybe what we have been in the past."

He added: "I'm really proud of the players today, it was a big performance by them, they worked very, very, very hard and it's a game that they deserve now."

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