A lone goal from Santosh Sahukhala in the first half was sufficient for Nepal to seal the victory. Sahukhala headed home from close range in the 29th minute in an acute cross of Anil Gurung, who received the ball from debutant Anil Ojha.[break]
Breaking the traditional pattern of 4-4-2, Roberts has come up with a 4-3-3 formation (four defenders, three midfielders and three strikers).
With the win, Nepal registered their ninth win in as many matches played against the Druks.
However, Nepal made many mis-passes and lacked coordination. Shiva Shrestha and Nirajan Khadka could not put up a coordinated midfield but Raju Tamang was at his best.
"We made a lot of mis-passes and the team was also not well organized. The team needs to improve in concentration level as well," said Nepal coach Roberts after the match.
Bringing two new faces -- Shrestha and Ojha -- in the starting line-up, Nepal could not make an impressive start and were under pressure during the initial minutes of the first half. However, Nepal´s first attempt on target found the back of the net, boosting their confidence over the traditional ´underdogs´. Ganesh Lawati also made his debut for the national side, but during stoppage time.
The Druks´ effort to reply in the 36th minute went in vain, as Chimi Dorji hit wide in an open net when he met a ball punched by goalie Kiran Chemjong. Chemjong was named in the starting line-up for the first time since his appearance in the Challenge Cup qualifiers held in Cambodia in 2008.
In the 48th minute, Nepal almost conceded a goal when goalie Chemjong dropped Pasang Tshering´s corner kick but managed to clear it. Seven minutes later, Tamang´s shot for Nepal sailed inches above the bar from the box.
An unmarked Gurung missed a scoring opportunity in the 71st minute when his powerful close-range shot from an open position was denied by Bhutan goalie Leki.
Bhutan nearly equalized 10 minutes from time when Newang Dendop had beaten defender Rohit Chand and goalie Chemjong but his shot on the far post went inches wide. Two minutes later, Tamang´s close-range strike for the home team sailed inches above the bar.
Nepal coach Roberts accepted that his side failed to put up a good show during the first half. "We dominated the second half and created frequent chances. Tamang and Gurung had some good chances," said Roberts, who expressed dissatisfaction over the low quality of the pitch. He also stressed on the need to play more matches ahead of the Challenge Cup.
Bhutan coach Hiroaki Matsuyama said Nepal were a strong side and their performance was good.
Nepal´s captain Sagar Thapa said they failed to play up to their standard and there was lack of coordination in the first half.
Bhutan are in Nepal to play two friendly matches ahead of their playoff match against Afghanistan for the Group D qualifiers. The playoff winners will join hosts Nepal, North Korea and Sri Lanka in the Group D qualifiers.
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