We were never going to win this game with pure performance says Glenn Ryan after Wicklow clash

It was probably manic, hard to put into words really but the one thing we do take out of it is that it could have been very easy after the few months we've had and after the way the last couple of minutes went from our own perspective for fellas to sit back and say 'not again' and let it happen it took resolve for them to go down, win the kick-out, be patient enough to work an opportunity and to take it.

The words of Kildare manager, Glenn Ryan, following his side's dramatic late, late one point win over Wicklow in Portlaoise on Sunday.

The manager added, “we were never going to win that game by pure performance today, particularly against Wicklow who had a big win under their belt last week, we all know we needed a win, it was always going to be difficult when you are looking for something like we have been and wanted it as much as we have, it was never going to be handed to us and they were always going to make it difficult.

“We made it difficult for ourselves at times, Wicklow made it difficult for us at times, really happy for those lads, we wouldn't have deserved to lose that.”

Despite the victory the manager emphasised there are still areas they (Kildare) will need to improve but added “just to get over the line was the important thing.”

The manager said that he feels the manner Kildare got their win will hopefully copper-fasten in these fellas heads that they “have an awful lot of the qualities to win more games than what they have been and it is important, it is not result that have to reflect on but rather on how they got it.”

While admitting there was a lot of stuff on the day they would not be happy with while also doing a lot of stuff we wanted to do but we were hit with so many sucker punches during the day, the sending-off, Mick O'Grady getting injured, Dan Flynn getting injured, Brian Byrne getting injured, so many reasons whey we could have lay down and plenty excuses we could have had the end of the day but we didn't look for excuses and they got themselves over the line.