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The Welsh side earned a hard-fought 1-0 win against international minnows Liechtenstein to maintain their hopes of World Cup qualifying.

Wales' James claimed his maiden goal for the national team from close range after Liechtenstein’s mix of full-time players, office workers and students had held out for more than 60 minutes. The scorer wheeled away in elation with his clear emotion mirrored by the three thousand Welsh followers filling most sections of the Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz.

Shortly after, though, Jordan James was cautioned and another late caution for Ethan Ampadu means the pair are unavailable for Tuesday’s decisive game with North Macedonia through disciplinary issues.

That Wales' ground match is a game Wales need to win to leapfrog North Macedonia and guarantee a improved position in the playoffs in March.

The Wales manager had an different perspective from the dugout, the head coach completing a sideline suspension after picking up a second yellow card in the qualifiers earlier.

The manager's assistant his assistant assumed duties in the coaching zone and multiple first-teamers – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were one caution from from missing the concluding match. Two of them came unstuck in incidents that could really hurt Wales.

Their opponents, placed among the lowest-ranked in global rankings, had not scored in their six qualifying defeats and allowed 23 goals at an average of almost four per match.

Wales unsurprisingly dominated possession as their hosts lay in a low defensive block and defended in numbers.

Their opponent's target saw little action until Nathan Broadhead high press caused a mistake and Jordan James saw his effort from the penalty area parried by Büchel.

The same combination worked the next opening, James locating Broadhead now with a accurate pass into space.

Broadhead’s superb touch took him past the keeper but the attacker was unable to score from a difficult angle.

Wales believed they'd broken the deadlock after 26 minutes when Jordan James directed a lofted Thomas set-piece back into a crowded six-yard box.

Büchel was harassed by Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his poor clearance landed with Nathan Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Wales' celebrations were cut short when the match official was sent to the pitchside monitor and ruled that at least one of the Wales central defenders was in an offside position from James’s header.

The visitors raised the tempo after the interval and Thomas sent in a centering pass to the back post which James rattled against the crossbar.

Williams then directed his header off target from inside the six-yard box as it started to seem like a frustrating evening for Wales.

However, with the game having reached its second half, Williams delivered a shrewd pass for Daniel James to run past the home defence.

James bypassed Büchel with a excellent cross into the danger area, and his namesake Jordan James had the straightforward job of relieving Welsh anxiety.