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Wales secured a tight 1-0 victory against underdogs Liechtenstein to keep alive their chances of World Cup qualification.

Jordan James claimed his debut international strike for the national team from close range after Liechtenstein’s group of full-time players, amateurs and students had held out for over an hour. James wheeled away in joy with his obvious relief mirrored by the 3,000 Welsh supporters filling most sections of the venue in Vaduz.

Moments later, however, James was booked and a further booking for Ethan Ampadu means both midfielders are ruled out for Tuesday’s decisive game with North Macedonia through accumulated bookings.

That Wales' ground match is a clash Wales have to secure victory in to overtake their rivals and guarantee a improved draw in the final round in next spring.

The Wales manager had an different perspective from the dugout, the Wales manager undertaking a technical area prohibition after being shown a additional booking in the tournament last month.

Bellamy’s assistant his assistant stood in in the dugout and four of Wales’s starters – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Rodon, Neco Williams – were at risk of suspension from being absent for the concluding match. Two of them were booked in situations that could really hurt Wales.

Their opponents, ranked among the lowest-ranked in global rankings, had been goalless in their previous six losses and conceded 23 goals at an average of nearly four per match.

Wales predictably controlled the ball as their hosts adopted a low defensive block and got bodies behind the ball.

Liechtenstein's net saw little action until Nathan Broadhead high press caused a mistake and Jordan James saw his shot from the edge of the box pushed aside by the goalkeeper.

That pairing worked the next opening, James finding Broadhead on this occasion with a accurate ball behind the defence.

Broadhead’s fine touch beat the keeper but the forward could not convert from a narrow position.

Wales thought they had taken the lead after the opening period when Jordan James directed a high Thomas set-piece back into a congested goal area.

Büchel was flustered by Lawlor and Rodon, and his feeble attempt fell to Broadhead who drove home emphatically. But Wales' joy were halted when the match official was instructed to the video review system and determined that a player of the Welsh centre-halves was in an offside from James’s header.

Wales raised the tempo after the interval and Thomas delivered a ball to the back post which Daniel James struck the woodwork.

Williams then directed his header off target from inside the penalty box as it appeared like a difficult match for the Welsh side.

However, with the game having entered its 61st minute, Neco Williams played a intelligent assist for Daniel James to break behind the Liechtenstein defenders.

James beat the goalkeeper with a superb ball along the six-yard box, and his namesake Jordan had the straightforward opportunity of ending Wales' anxiety.