Defending champions Church Bays United have been eliminated from the first round of the 15th International Invitational Control Etahari Gold Cup football tournament.

Church Boys suffered a 2-1 defeat against Dharan Football Club in the last quarter-final at Itahari Stadium on Tuesday. Most of the players who came to Itahari less than 24 hours after playing the Bagmati Gold Cup the previous day, the Church Boys, who have been participating in almost all the Gold Cups of Mofusal, could not perform well. Due to ANFA competing in one competition after another, the players of Church Boys who reached Itahari after defeating the departmental team Tribhuvan Army in the Bagmati Gold Cup on Monday looked very tired.

Taking advantage of this, Dharan increased the pressure and Dorje Tamang scored a goal in the 45th minute of the game. Dorje gave a superb finish, beating Vivek Rai's ball past two Church defenders. After trailing 1-0 in the first half, Church Boys did not perform well in the second half. Dharan increased the pressure one after another and added the second goal in the 57th minute. Milan Limbu beat goalkeeper Krishal Moktan with a pass and Vivek Rai doubled the team's lead by scoring an attractive goal. 

In the last 10 minutes of the game, Church increased the pressure on Dharan, but the defense line became an obstacle. In the 84th minute of the game, Church Boys' Anant Tamang scored with a header and tried to reduce the pressure. Before that, Dharan's goalkeeper Praveen Limbu blocked Anant's two stunning headers, but even though Anant managed to score in the third attempt, it was not enough for the win. Dharan's Dorje Tamang was the man of the match. He got Rs 10,000.