Neptunes 7
Sirens 8
(0-2, 4-1, 0-2, 3-3)

There is a very thin line between success and failure. Neptunes Vodafone know this to their expense. After having lost the battle for the title to Sliema last Sunday, they were pinning their hopes of retaining the KO to at least end their season just as they started it, on a savoury note.

But Sirens Go Mobile dashed all their aspirations when they edged them for a place in tomorrow's final against Sliema with a goal scored by Neil Cassar 17 seconds from the end.

It was the last episode in a closely-fought duel which kept the crowd glued to their seats. The Balluta team, guided by Karl Izzo in the absence of Dirk Dowling who was relieved of his duties earlier this week, fought till the end but finally succumbed to a team for whom goalkeeper Joe Caruana Dingli played a blinder.

However, Sirens also thrived on more accurate shooting from outside the four-metre zone, something which Neptunes did not have in abundance, given the absence of their main shooter and schemer Charlie Zammit.

The fine form of Edward Cachia could have saved their faces but in the final reckoning they will be the first to admit that their season ended dismally.

Karl Montfort gave Sirens the lead before David Cutajar made it 2-0 off a long pass. The northerners were looking the sharper with Neptunes unable to filter through the well-marshalled zone besides their inability to take clear-cut chances.

That all changed in the second session which Neptunes won 4-1. Nicky Lanzon started it with a lob after which Neil Cassar broke the Reds' zone for a 3-1 Sirens' lead. But two opportunistic goals from Edward Cachia and another from Steve Camilleri, amid two missed glaring chances by the Reds, gave Neptunes a 4-3 lead at the halfway mark.

The third session again found Neptunes stalling mostly on man-up sets. Goals from Chris Cauchi and Jonathan Valletta restored the lead for Sirens at the end of the third session (5-4). It was still everybody's game. Stellini broke Sirens' zone with a first-time shot to beat Caruana Dingli and bring his barren scoring spell to an end.

Montfort's accurate pot and likewise Lanzon's maintained parity on 6-6. Jonathan Valletta edged Sirens ahead when converting his team's second man-up.

The excellent Caruana Dingli saved point blank on Camilleri's otherwise hurried effort but the shrewd Cachia equalised on a man-up, the second on six occasions which also included a missed penalty by Lanzon when the teams were sharing eight goals in the third session.

It was tense in the last seconds but Neil Cassar summoned his nerves to net from eight metres. That was that. Sirens were through.

Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon (2), S. Camilleri (1), K. Galea, E. Cachia (3), J. Brownrigg, S. Gravina, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, Malcolm Azzopardi, Dean Camilleri, M. Stellini (1), M. Pisani.

Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, N. Imbroll, J. Rizzo Naudi, M. Zammit, C. Cauchi (1), J. Valletta (2), J. Borg, D. Cutajar (1), K. Montfort (2), W. Degiorgio, C. Mercieca, R. Attard, N. Cassar (2).

Refs: P. Balzan, F. Gomez.

Division Two KO

San Giljan 4
Exiles 5
(0-1, 1-2, 2-1, 1-1)

San Giljan: K. Schembri, K. D' Ugo, S. Mercieca, C. Bonello, P. Cachia (2), M. Zammit (1), I. Azzopardi, J. Camilleri, G. Farrugia, Ant. Borda, S. Borg, M. Miggiani, K. Grima Scott (1), Adam Borda, J. Spiteri.

Exiles: A. Grech, M. Grima, M. Zarb, D. Pace Lupi, T. Sullivan (2), S. Camilleri, D. Sullivan, J. Cremona, J.J. Tabone (1), K. Rizzo Naudi (1), A. Arrigo, J. Vella (1).

Refs: M. Ancilleri, A. De Raffaele.

Playing tomorrow: Division Two KO final 5.15 p.m. Ta' Xbiex Mermaid's Paradise vs Exiles RMF; Division One KO final 6.15 p.m. Sliema Burger King vs Sirens Go Mobile.