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The Welsh side earned a hard-fought 1-0 success against less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to sustain their chances of World Cup finals qualifying.

The young midfielder notched his first international strike for the national team from close range after Liechtenstein’s assorted collection of professionals, amateurs and part-timers had resisted for the majority of the match. James ran off in delight with his clear emotion echoed by the 3,000 Welsh supporters occupying multiple stands of the venue in the capital.

Moments later, however, James was booked and a further late caution for Ethan Ampadu means both midfielders are unavailable for the upcoming crunch tie with North Macedonia through suspension.

The Cardiff City Stadium match is a clash Wales need to win to move above North Macedonia and guarantee a better seeding in the final round in next spring.

Bellamy had an unusual view from the dugout, the Wales manager undertaking a sideline suspension after picking up a additional booking in the qualifiers last month.

Bellamy’s number two Piet Cremers assumed duties in the technical area and multiple first-teamers – James, Ethan Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were at risk of suspension from sitting out the final qualifier. Both James and Ampadu received cautions in moments that could really hurt Wales.

Their opponents, placed near the bottom in world football, had failed to score in their previous six losses and allowed 23 times at an rate of nearly four per fixture.

The visitors as expected controlled the ball as their hosts adopted a compact shape and got bodies behind the ball.

Their opponent's target saw little action until Broadhead chasing down caused a mistake and James saw his shot from the 18-yard line saved by Benjamin Büchel.

That pairing worked the next opening, Jordan locating his teammate this time with a precise ball behind the defence.

Broadhead’s excellent touch took him past Büchel but the Wrexham striker failed to finish from a tight angle.

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

The Liechtenstein keeper was under pressure by Dylan Lawlor and Rodon, and his poor clearance landed with Broadhead who drove home emphatically. But Welsh celebrations were curtailed when the referee was directed to the pitchside monitor and decided that a player of the Wales centre-halves was in an offside from Jordan's initial touch.

Wales stepped up a gear after the half-time and Thomas sent in a ball to the back post which James struck the frame of the goal.

Williams then missed with a header from within the goal area as it appeared like a frustrating evening for Wales.

But, with the match having ticked into its final half-hour, Williams delivered a clever assist for his teammate to run past the opposition backline.

James cut out Büchel with a superb ball along the six-yard box, and his namesake Jordan James had the straightforward opportunity of easing Welsh anxiety.