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Wales secured a tight 1-0 success over underdogs Liechtenstein to keep alive their aspirations of World Cup finals qualifying.

Wales' James claimed his debut goal for Wales from close range after the home side's group of professionals, office workers and part-timers had held out for the majority of the match. The scorer ran off in delight with his visible excitement shared by the 3,000 Welsh followers occupying most sections of the Rheinpark Stadion in the capital.

Shortly after, however, Jordan James was shown a yellow card and a further yellow for his midfield partner ensured the pair are ruled out for Tuesday’s crunch tie with North Macedonia through suspension.

The Wales' ground match is a game the Welsh team must win to move above their rivals and guarantee a improved draw in the playoffs in March.

Craig Bellamy had an unusual vantage point from the dugout, the Wales manager serving a touchline ban after picking up a additional booking in the competition previously.

Bellamy’s deputy his assistant took his place in the technical area and multiple first-teamers – James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Williams – were a booking away from sitting out the final qualifier. A pair came unstuck in moments that might hamper their team.

Their opponents, ranked near the bottom in world football, had been goalless in their winless run and let in twenty-three goals at an rate of almost four per fixture.

Wales as expected controlled the ball as their hosts employed a deep defensive line and packed their defence.

The home goal remained unthreatened until Nathan Broadhead high press forced an error and James saw his shot from the penalty area saved by Benjamin Büchel.

That pairing worked the next opening, James locating Broadhead now with a well-weighted pass into space.

Broadhead’s fine control beat Büchel but the attacker could not convert from a tight angle.

Wales thought they had broken the deadlock after the opening period when Jordan James headed a high Sorba Thomas set-piece back into a congested penalty box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was under pressure by Lawlor and Rodon, and his weak punch fell to Nathan Broadhead who drove home emphatically. But Welsh elation were cut short when the referee was instructed to the pitchside monitor and determined that at least one of the Wales defenders was in an illegal position from James’s header.

The visitors increased the pressure after the interval and Thomas sent in a cross to the opposite side which James struck the frame of the goal.

Neco Williams then directed his header off target from inside the penalty box as it started to seem like a frustrating evening for the Welsh side.

However, with the match having entered its second half, Williams executed a intelligent pass for Daniel James to break behind the opposition backline.

James beat the goalkeeper with a superb pass into the danger area, and his namesake Jordan had the easy opportunity of ending Welsh nerves.