🔗 Share this article

The Welsh side secured a tight 1-0 win against less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to maintain their hopes of World Cup finals progress.

The young midfielder claimed his first international strike for the national team from inside the box after Liechtenstein’s group of professionals, office workers and part-timers had resisted for over an hour. The scorer celebrated in joy with his clear emotion mirrored by the 3,000 Wales fans occupying most sections of the Rheinpark Stadion in Vaduz.

Soon afterwards, yet, Jordan James was shown a yellow card and another yellow for his midfield partner means both midfielders are suspended for Tuesday’s decisive game with their next opponents through suspension.

The home venue match is a clash Wales must win to leapfrog North Macedonia and guarantee a improved position in the qualifying playoffs in March.

Bellamy had an unusual vantage point from the dugout, the head coach serving a sideline suspension after being shown a second yellow card in the competition earlier.

The manager's deputy Piet Cremers stood in in the dugout and multiple first-teamers – James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Neco Williams – were a booking away from being absent for the concluding match. Both James and Ampadu received cautions in incidents that could really hurt their team.

Their opponents, ranked near the bottom in global rankings, had failed to score in their previous six losses and conceded twenty-three goals at an average of nearly four per fixture.

Wales predictably had most of the play as their hosts lay in a compact shape and packed their defence.

The home goal saw little action until the forward's pressing caused a mistake and James saw his effort from the penalty area parried by Büchel.

That pairing crafted an opportunity, Jordan finding his teammate now with a well-weighted delivery into space.

Broadhead’s fine first touch took him past Büchel but the Wrexham striker was unable to score from a difficult angle.

Wales thought they had taken the lead after the opening period when Jordan James directed a high Sorba Thomas corner back into a packed penalty box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was under pressure by Dylan Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his poor clearance reached Nathan Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Welsh celebrations were curtailed when the official was sent to the pitchside monitor and determined that one or more of the Welsh central defenders was in an offside from Jordan's header.

Wales stepped up a gear after the break and Thomas sent in a centering pass to the far post which the winger rattled against the woodwork.

Neco Williams then headed wide from within the penalty box as it started to seem like one of those nights for Wales.

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

Daniel James bypassed the goalkeeper with a superb ball across the face of goal, and his teammate Jordan had the straightforward job of ending Welsh tension.