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The Welsh side secured a narrow 1-0 win against underdogs Liechtenstein to keep alive their hopes of World Cup qualifying.

Jordan James claimed his first international strike for the national team from close range after Liechtenstein’s mix of full-time players, amateurs and students had held out for the majority of the match. James ran off in elation with his obvious relief echoed by the 3,000 Wales followers occupying three sides of the stadium in the capital.

Soon afterwards, though, Jordan James was booked and another yellow for Ethan Ampadu means the pair are unavailable for Tuesday’s crunch tie with North Macedonia through suspension.

That home venue match is a encounter Wales need to win to move above their rivals and obtain a better position in the playoffs in next spring.

The Wales manager had an unfamiliar view from the stands, the head coach undertaking a touchline ban after being shown a further caution in the competition earlier.

The manager's assistant Piet Cremers stood in in the dugout and four of Wales’s starters – Jordan James, Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were one caution from from sitting out the concluding match. A pair came unstuck in incidents that might hamper Wales.

Liechtenstein, ranked 206 out of 210 teams in world football, had failed to score in their winless run and conceded 23 goals at an average of nearly four per fixture.

Wales predictably dominated possession as Liechtenstein adopted a low defensive block and defended in numbers.

Their opponent's target was rarely tested until the forward's high press won possession and James saw his effort from the edge of the box saved by Benjamin Büchel.

A similar move created another chance, Jordan picking out his teammate on this occasion with a well-weighted pass into space.

The attacker's superb first touch evaded the keeper but the attacker failed to finish from a tight angle.

Wales believed they'd scored the opener after the first half when Jordan James nodded a deep Thomas set-piece back into a packed goal area.

Büchel was harassed by Dylan Lawlor and Rodon, and his feeble attempt landed with Broadhead who drove home emphatically. But Wales' elation were cut short when the official was sent to the video review system and decided that one or more of the Welsh central defenders was in an offside from Jordan's initial touch.

Wales stepped up a gear after the interval and Sorba Thomas delivered a ball to the far post which the winger hit the frame of the goal.

Williams then directed his header off target from inside the penalty box as it started to seem like one of those nights for the Welsh side.

However, with the game having entered its 61st minute, Neco Williams executed a shrewd assist for his teammate to run past the home defence.

Daniel James cut out the goalkeeper with a excellent cross into the danger area, and his teammate Jordan had the simple opportunity of relieving Wales' anxiety.