Ratoath will be hoping to put Leinster titles back to back this Saturday when they travel to Nowlan Park to take on Kilkenny Junior championship winners Mooncoin in the Leinster Club Junior hurling final. The Meath club defeated Athlone 12 months ago to win the Leinster Club Intermediate football title.

Ratoath are unbeaten in championship action all year with Wolfe Tones the only team to take a point off them and that was in the opening round of the championship. Na Fianna were beaten in the semi-final and they overcame Kilskyre/Moylagh in the county final.

The Meath champions have had a few stern tests on their way to the provincial final. An away trip in round 1 saw Michael Cooper's men forge a 2-20 to 2-9 win over Carlow Town. Offaly champions Clodiagh Gaels came to Ratoath in the quarter-final and the home side hung on for a 1-13 to 2-8 win.

Sean Eiffe Park was also the setting for the semi-final. Rosenallis of Laois, who were chasing a Leinster junior double, were eventually seen off after extra time - 1-20 to 1-16. Veteran Paddy Coady was sprung from the bench and got the all important goal in the second half of extra time.

Once again, Rataoth will look for big performances from Brian Murphy, Darragh Kelly, Bryan McMahon, Bobby O'Brien, Ciaran and Padraig O'Hanrahan and U21 B hurling championship Player of the Year Gavin McGowan to cause what would be an upset in the home of Kilkenny hurling.

Mooncoin have not really been tested this season. The Kilkenny junior championship winners defeated John Lockes 2-19 to 1-8 in their county final and accounted for Louth senior champions St Fechins 1-19 to 0-10 in the quarter-final before seeing off a fancied Oliver Plunketts of Westmeath 2-11 to 1-7 in the semi-final but will have to take on the Meath champions without John Fitzgerald who was red carded in that win over the Westmeath club.

Mooncoin have twelve SHC titles to their name but have fallen on lean times in recent years and like Ratoath will look to the spine of the team to lead them to success. They will need big performances from defenders Seamus Kearns, Eoin Hennebry and Conor Brophy, Cormac Fleming and Kevin Crowley in midfield along with Eamon Hennebry, Michael Grace and Sean Wall in attack to see off a gritty Ratoath.

The Ratoath team that defeated Rosenallis: Gearoid Crowley, Turlough O'Neill, Brian Murphy, Neil O'Dowd, Paddy Dowd, Darragh Kelly (0-3) Conor Ward, Bryan McMahon, Bobby O'Brien, Ben McGowan (0-1), Ciaran O'Hanrahan (0-1), Sean O'Hanrahan, Padraig O'Hanrahan (0-8 5 f, 1 65), Gavin McGowan (0-6), Sean Laffey Subs: Niall Murphy for O'Dowd, Sean Keogh (0-1) for Laffey, Paddy Coady (1-0)

The Mooncoin team that defeated Oliver Plunketts: Eoin Purcell; Conor Brophy, Niall Mackey, Liam Hennebry; Cormac Daly, Eoin Hennebry, Seamus Kearns; Cormack Fleming 0-3, Kevin Crowley 0-1; Sean Walsh 0-1, Sean Wall, Ray Wall 1-0; Michael Grace 0-4, Eamon Hennebry 1-0, John Fitzgerald 0-2. Subs: Keith Kirwan, Paul Hennebry, Andy Brennan.

The fixture

Saturday, 3rd December 2016: AIB Leinster Club Junior Hurling Championship Final; Mooncoin (Kilkenny) v Ratoath (Meath), Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, 2.00pm

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