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The Welsh side earned a tight 1-0 victory against less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to sustain their aspirations of World Cup finals progress.

The young midfielder claimed his debut international strike for the national team from inside the box after Liechtenstein’s mix of professionals, amateurs and students had resisted for the majority of the match. The scorer wheeled away in delight with his clear emotion mirrored by the 3,000 Welsh followers occupying multiple stands of the Rheinpark Stadion in the capital.

Shortly after, however, Jordan James was booked and another late caution for his midfield partner resulted in both midfielders are ruled out for Tuesday’s crucial match with North Macedonia due to suspension.

The Cardiff City Stadium contest is a clash Wales have to secure victory in to overtake North Macedonia and obtain a more favourable draw in the final round in next spring.

Craig Bellamy had an unfamiliar vantage point from the stands, the Wales manager undertaking a touchline ban after being shown a additional booking in the qualifiers last month.

The manager's assistant his assistant stood in in the dugout and several key players – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were a booking away from sitting out the last group game. Two of them received cautions in incidents that may damage their team.

The home side, ranked near the bottom in global rankings, had not scored in their winless run and allowed twenty-three goals at an rate of around four per match.

Wales predictably had most of the play as Liechtenstein adopted a compact shape and packed their defence.

Their opponent's target remained unthreatened until Nathan Broadhead pressing caused a mistake and Jordan James saw his effort from the edge of the box parried by Benjamin Büchel.

A similar move worked the next opening, James picking out his teammate now with a well-weighted delivery into space.

The attacker's excellent first touch evaded Büchel but the forward could not convert from a narrow position.

Wales believed they'd taken the lead after the first half when Jordan James nodded a high Sorba Thomas corner back into a congested six-yard box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was flustered by Dylan Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his feeble attempt reached Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Welsh joy were halted when the referee was instructed to the pitchside monitor and decided that one or more of the Welsh centre-halves was in an offside from James’s initial touch.

The visitors raised the tempo after the half-time and Thomas provided a centering pass to the opposite side which Daniel James rattled against the woodwork.

Neco Williams then directed his header off target from inside the penalty box as it began to look like one of those nights for Wales.

Yet, with the game having reached its 61st minute, Williams delivered a intelligent pass for his teammate to get in behind the home defence.

James cut out the goalkeeper with a delightful cross into the danger area, and his namesake Jordan had the easy opportunity of relieving Wales' nerves.