Sirens on course to retain title

Neptunes 4
Sirens 6
(0-2, 1-1, 3-0, 0-3)

Go Mobile Sirens atoned for their previous three league defeats at the hands of Neptunes Vodafone to book a berth in the final of the KO competition on Sunday morning.

The team, now under the stewardship of Guzi Attard, played a tactically sound game even if Neptunes looked largely dispirited and lacking the venom to break a well-marshalled zone.

It was only in the third session that Tony Camilleri's team rose to their responsibilities but the northerners regrouped their forces to win the last session decisively and thus win the right to meet either Sliema or Marsascala in the final.

For the Reds, it turned out to be a disappointing season considering their expectations.

The St Paul's Bay outfit took a 2-0 lead by the end of the first quarter when they exploited their extra-man sets, the second goal coming on a double man-up situation.

Neptunes appeared out of their depth going for the drive against a Sirens' zone cover. However, Valletta was already on two exclusions in the first session with Neptunes failing to profit on each occasion.

Sirens' defensive shield kept obliterating all their opponents' approximative efforts. Moreover, Neptunes' breaks were not being fully exploited as they renounced to full driving inside the seven-metre zone.

The Reds converted the fourth extra-man set after missing the third but Cauchi released himself in the centre to keep his team two goals ahead. By the halfway stage, Neptunes' wastefulness on man-ups - one goal on six - indicated they had a mountain to climb against their opponents' organised rearguard.

Valletta, who had been rested for all but the final stages of the second session, reappeared in the third part of the game. Zammit converted his team's seventh man-up to reduce the gap to 3-2. The same player exploited Sirens' zone when beating Caruana Dingli with a stunning shot from eight metres. Suddenly Sirens profligacy on man-ups emerged. Once they even squandered a two-man numerical superiority.

By this time Ian Azzopardi had been fouled out. His brother Malcolm gave Neptunes a 4-3 lead with Sirens again missing on a man-up before the third session ended.

Montfort levelled matters on a man-up early into the last restart. The exchanges remained balanced after Neptunes' three goal flurry in the third session. Montfort sneaked away on the right to make it 5-4 for Sirens. The Reds had tossed away two man-ups on the trot.

Time was running out for Neptunes as they won an exclusion in their favour. They missed that chance and then conceded a penalty six seconds from time. Valletta converted to put the issue beyond doubt.

Neptunes: A. Cachia, N. Lanzon, D. Pisani, J. Brownrigg, E. Cachia, D. Camilleri, J. Licari, C. Zammit (2), N. Gouder, M. Azzopardi (1), I. Azzopardi, M. Stellini, M. Pisani (1).

Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, C. Spiteri de Barro, K. Rizzo Naudi, P. Privitera (1), C. Cauchi (1), J. Valletta (1), J. Borg, D. Cutajar, K. Montfort (2), W. Degiorgio (1), A. Grech, J. Farrugia, N. Cassar.

Refs: P. Balzan, E. Carannante.

Playing today: Marsascala vs Sliema - 5 p.m.