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The Welsh side claimed a narrow 1-0 success against international minnows Liechtenstein to keep alive their hopes of World Cup finals progress.

The young midfielder notched his first goal for Wales from inside the box after Liechtenstein’s group of full-time players, office workers and students had resisted for over an hour. James ran off in delight with his clear emotion mirrored by the three thousand Welsh supporters occupying most sections of the venue in Vaduz.

Soon afterwards, yet, Jordan James was cautioned and another booking for Ethan Ampadu means the two players are ruled out for the upcoming decisive game with their next opponents due to suspension.

That home venue fixture is a encounter the Welsh team need to win to leapfrog North Macedonia and obtain a more favourable seeding in the final round in March.

The Wales manager had an unfamiliar vantage point from the stands, the head coach completing a touchline ban after picking up a second yellow card in the qualifiers previously.

The manager's assistant Cremers took his place in the technical area and multiple first-teamers – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were a booking away from being absent for the final qualifier. Two of them came unstuck in moments that could really hurt their team.

Their opponents, ranked among the lowest-ranked in global rankings, had failed to score in their winless run and conceded 23 times at an rate of nearly four per fixture.

Wales as expected dominated possession as Liechtenstein adopted a deep defensive line and packed their defence.

The home goal was rarely tested until Broadhead high press caused a mistake and Jordan James saw his shot from the edge of the box pushed aside by Benjamin Büchel.

The same combination created another chance, Jordan locating Broadhead on this occasion with a precise ball behind the defence.

The attacker's fine touch beat the keeper but the forward failed to finish from a narrow position.

Wales felt they taken the lead after 26 minutes when Jordan James nodded a lofted Sorba Thomas corner back into a packed six-yard box.

Büchel was flustered by Lawlor and Rodon, and his weak punch fell to Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Welsh celebrations were halted when the referee was directed to the VAR screen and determined that one or more of the Welsh centre-halves was in an offside position from James’s initial touch.

The visitors increased the pressure after the break and Thomas provided a centering pass to the opposite side which James hit the frame of the goal.

Williams then missed with a header from within the six-yard box as it appeared like a difficult match for the Welsh side.

Yet, with the match having entered its second half, Neco Williams played a shrewd assist for his teammate to get in behind the opposition backline.

James beat the goalkeeper with a superb ball across the face of goal, and his namesake Jordan James had the simple task of ending Wales' anxiety.