The young midfielder James nets the Welsh team to crucial World Cup qualifying triumph versus Liechtenstein.
The Welsh side secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over underdogs Liechtenstein to keep alive their hopes of World Cup finals qualifying.
Wales' James scored his first goal for Wales from near the goal after Liechtenstein’s assorted collection of professionals, office workers and part-timers had defended for over an hour. James wheeled away in elation with his visible excitement echoed by the three thousand Welsh followers filling three sides of the stadium in Vaduz.
Shortly after, however, James was booked and a further yellow for his midfield partner ensured the pair are suspended for Tuesday’s crunch tie with their next opponents due to suspension.
The Wales' ground match is a encounter Wales must win to overtake their rivals and secure a improved position in the qualifying playoffs in March.
The Wales manager had an unusual perspective from the stands, the head coach serving a sideline suspension after picking up a further caution in the competition last month.
Bellamy’s number two Cremers stood in in the dugout and four of Wales’s starters – James, Ethan Ampadu, Joe Rodon, Williams – were a booking away from being absent for the concluding match. A pair were booked in moments that may damage Wales.
The home side, situated among the lowest-ranked in global rankings, had been goalless in their six qualifying defeats and let in 23 times at an rate of almost four per match.
The visitors as expected had most of the play as Liechtenstein adopted a deep defensive line and packed their defence.
Liechtenstein's net saw little action until Nathan Broadhead chasing down forced an error and Jordan James saw his shot from the edge of the box pushed aside by Benjamin Büchel.
A similar move crafted an opportunity, Jordan locating Broadhead now with a accurate ball behind the defence.
Broadhead’s fine first touch took him past the keeper but the attacker was unable to score from a tight angle.
Wales thought they had broken the deadlock after the opening period when James headed a lofted Thomas set-piece back into a packed penalty box.
Büchel was flustered by Dylan Lawlor and Joe Rodon, and his weak punch landed with Broadhead who scored decisively. But Welsh joy were curtailed when the referee was instructed to the video review system and decided that at least one of the Wales central defenders was in an offside position from Jordan's initial touch.
The visitors increased the pressure after the half-time and Sorba Thomas provided a centering pass to the far post which James hit the woodwork.
Williams then headed wide from inside the six-yard box as it started to seem like one of those nights for Wales.
Yet, with the match having ticked into its final half-hour, Williams executed a clever assist for his teammate to get in behind the opposition backline.
Daniel James cut out Büchel with a excellent pass along the six-yard box, and his namesake Jordan James had the easy task of ending Wales' tension.
