Neptunes: N. Gouder, N. Lanzon 1, S. Camilleri 3, K. Galea 3, E. Cachia 1, J. Brownrigg, S. Gravina, L. Attard, D. Camilleri, N. Agius, A. Sammut, M. Stellini 3, M. Pisani.

Sirens: J. Caruana Dingli, A. Grech, J. Rizzo Naudi, K. Rizzo Naudi, C. Cauchi, J. Valletta, J. Borg, D. Cutajar, K. Montfort 1, C. Zammit, C. Mercieca 2, R. Attard, N. Cassar 1.

Refs: M. Di Chiara, I. Sciriha

Neptunes Vodafone seem to have hit the peak late in the season.

After having missed out on the championship they have been effective so far in the knockout.

Yesterday they outclassed newly-champions Sirens, who literally were a shadow of their usual selves in the final two sessions so as to book a place in next Sunday's final. It was Neptunes' third consecutive victory of late.

The reds had coach Sergio Afric missing as he, according to reports, went back to Palermo and were led by assistant coach Karl Izzo. These two sides were incidentally joyously celebrating together last Saturday after Neptunes' win over Sliema cleared the way for Sirens' championship win.

The initial session, in a game where both sets of supporters had a band, ended 1-1. In the first five minutes the respective defences were very attentive and quite tight although there was a shot hitting the crossbar on each end.

Midway into the sixth minute Sirens opened the score on a 3-2 break as Zammit passed to Montfort who then gave an assist to Clint Mercieca who did not miss with only Gouder to beat.

Neptunes equalised almost a minute later when Sirens made a sudden offensive foul and lost possession permitting Neptunes to break: Karl Galea scored from close range.

Up till midway in the game both teams did not manage to convert a single man-up (Neptunes had 4 on 8 at the end while Sirens managed 3 on 5) with the reds messing three against a solitary man-up for Sirens.

The second session was quite a technical affair with both teams opting for distance shots against respective zone defences. There was also a great save by Joe Caruana Dingli who thwarted a Galea break.

The only goal in these eight minutes of effective play came seven seconds from the end when Nicky Lanzon broke off centrally and from over seven metres found the net with a low bounce shot in the right corner.

The third session resulted in Neptunes breaking clear of their opponents when opening a four goal lead, 6-2.

After Mercieca hit the crossbar with a powerful shot, Michele Stellini made it 3-1 as he produced a precise left hand shot in the top right corner.

Late in the fourth minute there was the first man-up goal when Karl Montfort made good use of a Brownrigg exclusion to restore the two-goal lead.

However this lead increased to four as Stellini (man-up) and then Galea scored for the Balluta side.

Early in the final session Clint Mercieca tried to infuse more morale into the Sirens clan with a goal off a Pisani exclusion but seconds later Zammit was unfortunate when his bounce shot hit the upright. This led to a Neptunes break and the same Zammit fouled Steve Camilleri for a penalty and the latter converted the four-metre shot.

It was Neptunes all the way as Sirens totally faded. Goals from Edward Cachia (off a Lanzon assist) and hat-trick boys Stellini and Camilleri rounded a superb Neptunes win and they now wait eagerly to see today's winners between Sliema and M'Scala.

Under 19 K.O.: Sliema-San Giljan 16-4.