Three Star Club stormed into the final of the Aaha-Rara Gold Cup football tournament after a hat-trick from Bishwas Shrestha inspired them to a 5-0 thumping of Uttar Baridhara FC of Bangladesh in Pokhara on Wednesday.

Shrestha was on target in the first half stoppage time, 67th and 75th minutes after Bishnu Gurung and Nirajan Khadka had put the Lalitpur based team in the commanding position. The Lalitpur-based outfit will now meet the winners Thursday’s second semi-final between Nepal Police Club and Dharan Football Club for the title. The final is scheduled for Saturday.

Gurung broke the deadlock in the 41st minute after he capitalised on a pass of Buddha Chemjong at his home town. Visiting Baridhara had to play without two key players due to the red cards they picked in their previous outing against Farwest XI. With only one player in the bench following the suspension of their African recruits, Baridhara looked hapless against a Three Star side studded with national footballers.

Khadka doubled the advantage in a pass from Shrestha. The role reciprocated as Shrestha netted third goal for Three Star after he was fed by Khadka inside the area at the stroke of the half time. With his side already in a pole position with a three-goal advantage, Shrestha rubbed salt on Baridhara wound scoring in a 67th minute and completed his hat-trick making full use of a free kick from Sunil Shrestha in the 75th. Shrestha was declared the-man-of-the-match.

Senior vice president of Baridhara Musibar Rahman said that the absence of two key players and injuries to few others got his side depleted. He added: “We could not play well this time, but we will come up with strong squad in the next edition.”

Three Star coach Meghraj KC said the Baridhara side was no match to his side. “There was big gap between the level of the two sides,” said KC.

Meanwhile, Three Star has also solved the work permit issues of their foreign players. They were not able to field their three foreign recruits in a tiebreak win over Nepal Armed Police Force Club. On Wednesday, they fielded Ajayi Martins late in the second half.  Fresh from winning the Madan Bhandari Memorial Itahari Gold Cup, Three Star are one of the successful teams in Aaha-Rara Gold Cup history having won the title four times. They have never lost in the final of the tournament.