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Wales earned a narrow 1-0 success over underdogs Liechtenstein to keep alive their chances of World Cup progress.

Jordan James scored his first international strike for the national team from near the goal after Liechtenstein’s mix of professionals, office workers and part-timers had defended for the majority of the match. The scorer wheeled away in joy with his clear emotion mirrored by the three thousand Wales followers filling three sides of the venue in the capital.

Soon afterwards, yet, James was cautioned and another late caution for Ethan Ampadu resulted in the two players are unavailable for Tuesday’s crunch tie with their next opponents through disciplinary issues.

That Wales' ground fixture is a encounter the Welsh team must win to leapfrog North Macedonia and guarantee a better seeding in the qualifying playoffs in March.

The Wales manager had an unusual view from the sidelines, Bellamy completing a touchline ban after receiving a further caution in the competition previously.

Bellamy’s assistant Cremers assumed duties in the technical area and four of Wales’s starters – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were at risk of suspension from being absent for the final qualifier. Both James and Ampadu received cautions in situations that may damage Wales.

The home side, situated near the bottom in international football, had failed to score in their winless run and allowed twenty-three times at an average of nearly four per fixture.

The visitors predictably had most of the play as their hosts lay in a compact shape and defended in numbers.

Liechtenstein's net saw little action until Nathan Broadhead pressing forced an error and James saw his attempt from the 18-yard line saved by Büchel.

That pairing worked the next opening, Jordan picking out his teammate on this occasion with a well-weighted ball into space.

Broadhead’s excellent touch took him past Büchel but the forward was unable to score from a narrow position.

Wales believed they'd broken the deadlock after the opening period when James directed a high Sorba Thomas corner back into a packed six-yard box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was under pressure by Dylan Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his poor clearance fell to Nathan Broadhead who scored decisively. But Wales' celebrations were cut short when the official was directed to the video review system and ruled that one or more of the Welsh centre-halves was in an illegal position from Jordan's header.

The visitors raised the tempo after the break and Sorba Thomas sent in a cross to the opposite side which Daniel James struck the frame of the goal.

Neco Williams then missed with a header from within the penalty box as it started to seem like one of those nights for the Welsh side.

But, with the game having ticked into its 61st minute, Neco Williams played a intelligent assist for his teammate to break behind the Liechtenstein defenders.

James beat the goalkeeper with a superb cross into the danger area, and his teammate Jordan James had the straightforward job of ending Welsh tension.