Derry manager John McEvoy has stressed that the outcome of Sunday's HL2B clash against Kildare will not decide promotion at this early stage.

Both sides go into this weekend unbeaten and it is widely felt that the winners of the game will top the table, but McEvoy feels that there is still a lot of hurling to be played before that’s decided.

The former Dublin under-21 manager told the Derry Journal that the other teams in the division could still have a major say on the promotion places.

“It is still a very tight division,” said McEvoy. “Remember, we beat Down last year and they came right back into it at the end of the league and exactly the same thing happened in the Christy Ring Cup when Down got to the final after we had beaten them.

“That is always a factor and irrespective of how Sunday goes, you have to dust yourself off and get to the next game. You have to be sure that everybody is fully concentrating on the job ahead because there is only one team that goes up and irrespective of what way you prepare or what way you play, you have to be ready to go again the following week. That’s just the nature of the league.”

The Allianz Hurling League returns this weekend, make sure you join the hoganstand.com match tracker for live scores from the third round of games.

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