Louth hurlers look to maintain their perfect start against the Ridge County

Louth senior hurlers are flying high in Division 4 of the Allianz National Hurling League, and they’ll be aiming to keep that momentum going when they welcome Leitrim to Protection and Prosperity Louth GAA Centre of Excellence, Darver, this afternoon.

The game was originally set for Páirc Naomh Bríd, Dowdallshill, but has been moved to Darver. Starting time remains the same at 1.15pm.

Three wins from three have put Trevor Hilliard’s side in a strong position at the top of the table with six points.

They have been dominant so far, racking up impressive wins over Fermanagh, Monaghan, and Warwickshire.

Leitrim, meanwhile, sit just behind them in second place on four points, having also made a strong start with victories over Lancashire and Longford.

A win for the Wee County would put them in prime position for a place in the National League final, but Hilliard knows they can’t afford to take anything for granted.

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(Allianz National Hurling League - Division 4 - Round 3 standings)

Speaking ahead of the game, he said: “We have got three out of three so far, but each team is coming after us now because we are there to be knocked down.

“We are happy where we are at the minute, we still need at least another victory maybe to get us over the line for a National League final.”

The Reds latest win saw them travel to Birmingham, where they comfortably saw off Warwickshire despite conceding two early goals. Hilliard was pleased with the response from his players.

He reflected: “Warwickshire started the game as I expected, and they raced into a five-point lead. We had done well again to get a grip of them before half time.

“We came out then in the second half and we played good hurling so we are hoping we can do that all the time. We are really focusing now on getting the early start.”

Squad-wise, Louth will be without Aaron McGuinness for this weekend’s clash, while Andrew Smyth remains a doubt with a knock. A few other players have minor injuries but are expected to be available.

Leitrim have shown they can grind out results, and their unbeaten start proves they will be no pushovers.

However, with home advantage and the form they’ve shown so far, Louth will be confident of maintaining their 100% record.

Another victory on Sunday could all but secure their place in the Division 4 final. It’s all to play for in Dowdallshill.