An Cearnog Nua, Moycullen men's U20 side will play a strong UCD Marian team in the National Basketball Cup final this Saturday, in what will be the club's first appearance in a national final at this level.

En route to the decider – which will take place in the National Arena in Tallaght – Moycullen overcame Ballina and Maree before disposing of Dublin powerhouse Neptune in a fine semi-final display.

The fancied Marian team are captained by Maree native Peter Finn and, like Moycullen, will field a host of Irish underage internationals in Finn, Connor Barron, and Michael and Eoin Chubb.

Several Marion players were members of the Killester team that beat Moycullen in the U17 Billy Kelly final in Cork, a competition seen by most as the unofficial national championship at that age level. Of course Moycullen can draw on substantial competitive experience of its own. Cian Nihill is the most capped Irish underage player with 49 appearances and should be a major factor in the final.

This group have lost very few games at underage level and all of the squad train with the Moycullen National League team, which is enjoying a good season under new coach, Zbigniew Mardon.

Coach Mardon will hope Moycullen can achieve the same scoring spread they did in the Neptune clash, where seven players scored and four hit double figures.

If they are to upset the Dublin favourites, Moycullen will look to James Loughnane, Eoghan Maxwell and Dylan Cunningham on the perimeter with Stephen Tummon and Paul O'Brien doing the work inside.

Moycullen's young side will go into the final as slight underdogs but if they can maintain the defensive intensity they produced in the semi-final, a shock could be on the cards.

It promises to be a titanic battle with tip off in the Arena fixed for 8pm on Saturday.

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