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Wales earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to keep alive their hopes of World Cup finals qualifying.

The young midfielder claimed his maiden goal for the national team from near the goal after Liechtenstein’s mix of full-time players, office workers and students had held out for the majority of the match. The scorer ran off in elation with his clear emotion shared by the large contingent of Welsh supporters occupying multiple stands of the stadium in the capital.

Shortly after, though, Jordan James was booked and another yellow for Ethan Ampadu ensured the pair are suspended for Tuesday’s crunch tie with North Macedonia through suspension.

That Wales' ground match is a encounter the Welsh team must win to move above North Macedonia and guarantee a more favourable position in the qualifying playoffs in next spring.

Bellamy had an unfamiliar perspective from the stands, the Wales manager undertaking a sideline suspension after receiving a further caution in the competition previously.

The manager's number two his assistant stood in in the technical area and four of Wales’s starters – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were at risk of suspension from being absent for the last group game. Both James and Ampadu came unstuck in moments that may damage Wales.

Liechtenstein, placed 206 out of 210 teams in world football, had not scored in their previous six losses and allowed twenty-three times at an rate of nearly four per match.

Wales predictably had most of the play as their hosts adopted a deep defensive line and defended in numbers.

Liechtenstein's net saw little action until the forward's chasing down caused a mistake and Jordan James saw his shot from the edge of the box pushed aside by the goalkeeper.

The same combination worked the next opening, James picking out his teammate now with a accurate delivery into space.

Broadhead’s superb touch beat Büchel but the Wrexham striker failed to finish from a narrow position.

Wales felt they broken the deadlock after the first half when James directed a lofted Sorba Thomas corner back into a congested six-yard box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was flustered by Lawlor and Rodon, and his weak punch fell to Nathan Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Welsh joy were curtailed when the match official was sent to the video review system and ruled that a player of the Welsh central defenders was in an offside position from Jordan's header.

The visitors increased the pressure after the half-time and Thomas delivered a ball to the back post which the winger hit the frame of the goal.

Neco Williams then missed with a header from within the goal area as it began to look like a difficult match for the Welsh side.

But, with the contest having entered its final half-hour, Neco Williams played a intelligent assist for his teammate to break behind the Liechtenstein defenders.

James beat the goalkeeper with a excellent pass across the face of goal, and his teammate Jordan had the straightforward task of relieving Welsh anxiety.