The young midfielder James scores Wales to important World Cup victory over the Liechtenstein national team.
Wales claimed a narrow 1-0 win over less-fancied opponents Liechtenstein to maintain their chances of World Cup finals qualification.
Jordan James scored his maiden international strike for the national team from near the goal after Liechtenstein’s group of professionals, amateurs and students had resisted for the majority of the match. The scorer celebrated in delight with his obvious relief echoed by the 3,000 Wales supporters occupying three sides of the venue in Vaduz.
Moments later, however, James was booked and another late caution for his midfield partner ensured the pair are ruled out for the upcoming decisive game with North Macedonia due to accumulated bookings.
That Cardiff City Stadium fixture is a game the Welsh team must win to leapfrog their rivals and guarantee a more favourable position in the qualifying playoffs in March.
Bellamy had an unfamiliar perspective from the dugout, Bellamy serving a sideline suspension after being shown a further caution in the qualifiers earlier.
The manager's deputy Cremers assumed duties in the coaching zone and several key players – Jordan James, Ethan Ampadu, Rodon, Williams – were one caution from from sitting out the last group game. A pair received cautions in moments that could really hurt Wales.
Liechtenstein, ranked 206 out of 210 teams in world football, had failed to score in their previous six losses and let in 23 goals at an average of around four per fixture.
The visitors unsurprisingly controlled the ball as their hosts lay in a deep defensive line and defended in numbers.
The home goal saw little action until the forward's high press forced an error and James saw his shot from the edge of the box pushed aside by BĂĽchel.
A similar move created another chance, James picking out Broadhead on this occasion with a accurate ball over the top.
The attacker's excellent first touch took him past the keeper but the forward could not convert from a difficult angle.
Wales felt they scored the opener after the first half when Jordan James nodded a deep Thomas set-piece back into a packed six-yard box.
Büchel was flustered by Dylan Lawlor and Rodon, and his poor clearance fell to Broadhead who finished powerfully. But Wales' joy were cut short when the referee was sent to the VAR screen and determined that at least one of the Wales central defenders was in an illegal position from James’s initial touch.
The visitors stepped up a gear after the break and Thomas delivered a centering pass to the back post which Daniel James struck the crossbar.
Williams then headed wide from within the penalty box as it began to look like one of those nights for the Welsh side.
Yet, with the game having reached its final half-hour, Neco Williams played a intelligent pass for his teammate to break behind the home defence.
James beat BĂĽchel with a superb cross along the six-yard box, and his teammate Jordan James had the easy task of relieving Welsh nerves.
