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The Welsh side earned a narrow 1-0 success over less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to maintain their chances of World Cup progress.

The young midfielder notched his first international strike for Wales from inside the box after the home side's mix of professionals, office workers and part-timers had held out for the majority of the match. James wheeled away in joy with his clear emotion mirrored by the large contingent of Welsh followers packed into three sides of the venue in the capital.

Soon afterwards, however, James was booked and a further yellow for Ethan Ampadu resulted in the two players are unavailable for the upcoming crunch tie with their next opponents due to disciplinary issues.

That Cardiff City Stadium fixture is a encounter the Welsh team must win to move above their rivals and secure a improved draw in the playoffs in next spring.

The Wales manager had an different vantage point from the sidelines, the Wales manager completing a technical area prohibition after being shown a second yellow card in the qualifiers last month.

The manager's number two Piet Cremers stood in in the dugout and four of Wales’s starters – James, Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were a booking away from sitting out the concluding match. Both James and Ampadu came unstuck in situations that could really hurt Wales.

The home side, situated near the bottom in world football, had been goalless in their previous six losses and let in twenty-three goals at an average of almost four per match.

The visitors unsurprisingly dominated possession as their hosts employed a deep defensive line and got bodies behind the ball.

Liechtenstein's net remained unthreatened until the forward's pressing forced an error and James saw his attempt from the edge of the box saved by the goalkeeper.

A similar move created another chance, Jordan locating Broadhead on this occasion with a precise ball over the top.

Broadhead’s fine control evaded the keeper but the forward was unable to score from a difficult angle.

Wales believed they'd scored the opener after 26 minutes when James directed a deep Thomas set-piece back into a crowded penalty box.

The Liechtenstein keeper was flustered by Dylan Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his poor clearance reached Nathan Broadhead who scored decisively. But Welsh joy were curtailed when the official was instructed to the pitchside monitor and decided that a player of the Wales central defenders was in an illegal position from James’s header.

Wales stepped up a gear after the break and Thomas provided a cross to the back post which James struck the crossbar.

Neco Williams then headed wide from within the six-yard box as it started to seem like one of those nights for the Welsh side.

However, with the match having entered its final half-hour, Neco Williams delivered a intelligent assist for Daniel James to break behind the opposition backline.

James cut out the goalkeeper with a delightful cross into the danger area, and his namesake Jordan James had the simple job of relieving Welsh nerves.