The young midfielder James scores the Welsh team to crucial World Cup victory over Liechtenstein.

The Welsh side secured a narrow 1-0 win against international minnows Liechtenstein to maintain their hopes of World Cup progress.

Jordan James scored his maiden goal for the national team from near the goal after the home side's group of professionals, office workers and part-timers had resisted for over an hour. The scorer celebrated in delight with his obvious relief mirrored by the three thousand Wales fans packed into three sides of the stadium in Vaduz.

Soon afterwards, however, James was booked and a further late caution for his midfield partner resulted in the two players are unavailable for Tuesday’s crunch tie with their next opponents due to suspension.

The home venue contest is a encounter Wales need to win to move above their rivals and guarantee a improved position in the playoffs in March.

The Wales manager had an unusual vantage point from the dugout, the Wales manager serving a technical area prohibition after receiving a further caution in the tournament last month.

Bellamy’s assistant his assistant assumed duties in the dugout and four of Wales’s starters – James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Williams – were at risk of suspension from sitting out the last group game. Two of them were booked in moments that could really hurt their team.

Their opponents, ranked 206 out of 210 teams in global rankings, had not scored in their previous six losses and conceded 23 times at an rate of around four per game.

Wales as expected had most of the play as Liechtenstein lay in a deep defensive line and packed their defence.

The home goal saw little action until Nathan Broadhead chasing down won possession and James saw his effort from the penalty area parried by Benjamin Büchel.

That pairing worked the next opening, Jordan finding Broadhead on this occasion with a precise pass into space.

The attacker's superb control took him past Büchel but the Wrexham striker was unable to score from a tight angle.

Wales thought they had scored the opener after the opening period when Jordan James directed a deep Thomas set-piece back into a congested goal area.

Büchel was under pressure by Dylan Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his feeble attempt fell to Broadhead who scored decisively. But Wales' joy were curtailed when the referee was sent to the pitchside monitor and decided that a player of the Welsh defenders was in an offside position from Jordan's header.

The visitors increased the pressure after the interval and Thomas delivered a centering pass to the far post which Daniel James rattled against the frame of the goal.

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

Yet, with the game having ticked into its second half, Williams delivered a clever assist for Daniel James to run past the opposition backline.

James bypassed the goalkeeper with a superb cross along the six-yard box, and his teammate Jordan had the easy opportunity of ending Wales' anxiety.