Wales' Jordan James fires the Welsh team to vital World Cup qualifying triumph versus the Liechtenstein national team.
The Welsh side secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over international minnows Liechtenstein to maintain their hopes of World Cup finals progress.
The young midfielder notched his maiden goal for Wales from close range after the home side's mix of professionals, office workers and students had defended for the majority of the match. The scorer celebrated in elation with his obvious relief mirrored by the large contingent of Welsh supporters filling three sides of the stadium in Vaduz.
Shortly after, yet, Jordan James was booked and another yellow for Ethan Ampadu means the two players are unavailable for Tuesday’s decisive game with North Macedonia due to accumulated bookings.
The Wales' ground fixture is a encounter Wales need to win to overtake their rivals and obtain a improved seeding in the final round in March.
Craig Bellamy had an different view from the dugout, the head coach undertaking a technical area prohibition after being shown a further caution in the competition earlier.
The manager's assistant Piet Cremers stood in in the dugout and four of Wales’s starters – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Williams – were one caution from from sitting out the last group game. Two of them received cautions in moments that might hamper their team.
The home side, situated near the bottom in global rankings, had been goalless in their previous six losses and let in 23 times at an rate of nearly four per fixture.
The visitors as expected dominated possession as their hosts lay in a deep defensive line and packed their defence.
The home goal was rarely tested until Broadhead chasing down forced an error and Jordan James saw his effort from the 18-yard line pushed aside by Büchel.
That pairing crafted an opportunity, Jordan locating Broadhead this time with a well-weighted ball behind the defence.
Broadhead’s excellent control beat Büchel but the forward failed to finish from a narrow position.
Wales believed they'd broken the deadlock after 26 minutes when Jordan James nodded a lofted Thomas set-piece back into a congested goal area.
The Liechtenstein keeper was harassed by Lawlor and Rodon, and his poor clearance fell to Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Wales' elation were cut short when the official was instructed to the video review system and decided that one or more of the Wales centre-halves was in an offside from Jordan's initial touch.
The visitors stepped up a gear after the interval and Sorba Thomas sent in a ball to the far post which Daniel James hit the woodwork.
Williams then missed with a header from within the six-yard box as it began to look like one of those nights for the Welsh side.
However, with the contest having ticked into its 61st minute, Williams delivered a shrewd through ball for his teammate to run past the Liechtenstein defenders.
James beat the goalkeeper with a delightful pass along the six-yard box, and his teammate Jordan had the simple job of ending Wales' tension.