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The Welsh side claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to keep alive their hopes of World Cup finals qualifying.

The young midfielder scored his first goal for the national team from inside the box after the home side's group of full-time players, amateurs and part-timers had resisted for over an hour. The scorer wheeled away in joy with his visible excitement mirrored by the 3,000 Welsh supporters filling most sections of the venue in Vaduz.

Soon afterwards, however, James was booked and a further booking for his midfield partner ensured the pair are suspended for the upcoming crucial match with their next opponents due to disciplinary issues.

The Cardiff City Stadium match is a encounter the Welsh team need to win to leapfrog their rivals and obtain a more favourable position in the playoffs in next spring.

The Wales manager had an unusual vantage point from the sidelines, the head coach serving a sideline suspension after being shown a additional booking in the competition earlier.

The manager's deputy Piet Cremers stood in in the coaching zone and several key players – Jordan James, Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were at risk of suspension from being absent for the concluding match. Two of them came unstuck in incidents that may damage their team.

The home side, ranked 206 out of 210 teams in international football, had been goalless in their winless run and allowed twenty-three goals at an rate of nearly four per match.

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

Liechtenstein's net remained unthreatened until Broadhead chasing down caused a mistake and James saw his shot from the edge of the box parried by the goalkeeper.

That pairing crafted an opportunity, Jordan finding Broadhead this time with a accurate ball over the top.

Broadhead’s superb control evaded the keeper but the forward could not convert from a tight angle.

Wales felt they scored the opener after the first half when James headed a high Sorba Thomas set-piece back into a congested six-yard box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was harassed by Lawlor and Rodon, and his weak punch fell to Nathan Broadhead who drove home emphatically. But Wales' elation were curtailed when the official was instructed to the video review system and decided that at least one of the Wales central defenders was in an offside from Jordan's initial touch.

Wales raised the tempo after the interval and Sorba Thomas provided a cross to the opposite side which Daniel James struck the crossbar.

Neco Williams then headed wide from inside the penalty box as it started to seem like a frustrating evening for the Welsh side.

However, with the match having ticked into its final half-hour, Williams delivered a shrewd pass for Daniel James to break behind the home defence.

James bypassed the goalkeeper with a excellent cross along the six-yard box, and his teammate Jordan James had the straightforward opportunity of relieving Welsh nerves.