Match ends, Cardiff City 0, Swansea City 4.
CardiffCardiff City0SwanseaSwansea City4
Swansea made history in the south Wales derby by becoming the first side in the fixture to complete a league double as they humiliated Cardiff with a 4-0 win.
The Swans took a narrow lead into half-time as Michael Obafemi put them ahead.
Ben Cabango fired home from a corner to give the Swans a second and Cardiff's misery was compounded when Hannes Wolf headed in from Cyrus Christie's cross.
Obafemi then added a fourth on the break as Swansea thrashed Cardiff for a second time this season.
Russell Martin's side were clear and deserved winners in a contest that will do much to offer Swans fans hope that they can improve next season, while at the same time exposing the limitations in a Cardiff squad that will be overhauled this summer.
Put simply, the hosts were found wanting in their biggest game of the campaign. Their big rivals stepped up their level of performance, as they have tended to do against Cardiff, who have won and scored in only one of their last seven games against Swansea.
This contest is always huge for the managers of the south Wales clubs, with the rivalry between the sides undiminished despite this being a disappointing campaign for both clubs.
There was certainly plenty at stake for the supporters despite this contest having virtually zero impact on the Championship table, but Cardiff fans knew only too well the unfortunate piece of history facing them if they lost. That worry is now reality.
No side has won a league double in the 110-year history of the south Wales derby - they first played in the same division in 1929-30 - but the chance to become history-makers clearly inspired Swansea in the early exchanges as they flew out of the traps in the Welsh capital.
They might have led as early as 35 seconds into the contest, but Obafemi was just denied as he beat Cardiff's offside trap and had time and space six-yards out, but he just failed to make contact as he stretched to receive Joel Piroe's dinked pass.
However, Cardiff did not heed the warning and they trailed five minutes later after a lovely passing move culminated in a one-two between Obafemi and Jamie Paterson. A perfect cross from Paterson presented a tap-in for Obafemi and sparked scenes of wild celebration in the away end and indeed, the away dugout.
Cardiff complained about Martin's celebrations in the reverse fixture - a 3-0 win for Swansea in October - but that did not diminish the visitors' reaction to Obafemi's early strike.
The hosts improved after going behind, but struggled to create clear chances - a theme of their season - with Jordan Hugill making poor contact with a half chance in a crowded penalty area and Mark McGuinness heading wide from a trademark set-piece.
The concern for Cardiff fans was that they had scored only one goal in their previous six games against the Swans, Aden Flint's winner in their 1-0 victory in March 2021 and in truth, Swansea were never really tested in the first half.
The visitors missed a couple of half chances themselves, with Piroe firing over and Wolf seeing his shot crucially blocked, before a magnificent last-ditch tackle from Perry Ng denied Obafemi as he raced clear on 43 minutes.
The hosts improved after the interval but unbelievably fell further behind from a corner - the first Swansea have scored from all season - as the ball fell kindly to Cabango from Christie's deflection, with Cabango picking his spot and firing into the bottom corner of the net.
Cardiff are one of the best exponents of set-pieces in the Championship, but Swansea's second goal seemed to suck the life out of the Bluebirds and their supporters, who knew a two goal comeback would be a giant task.
The hosts kept pushing and Ng fired wide from the edge of the penalty area, but Swansea picked Cardiff off at will on the counter, with Wolf heading home Cyrus Christie's inch perfect cross to make it 3-0 and game over.
Swansea added a fourth on 82 minutes when Obafemi curled home his second as Cardiff's angry fans left in droves with those remaining booing them off at full time.
Line-ups
Cardiff
Formation 5-3-2
- 25Smithies
- 17Drameh
- 38Ng
- 5Flint
- 2McGuinness
- 3Bagan
- 22DoyleBooked at 39minsSubstituted forColwillat 58'minutes
- 15Wintle
- 8RallsBooked at 80mins
- 9HugillSubstituted forIkpeazuat 70'minutes
- 29M HarrisSubstituted forDaviesat 58'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Phillips
- 6Vaulks
- 10Ikpeazu
- 16Nelson
- 18Doughty
- 27Colwill
- 39Davies
Swansea
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 33FisherBooked at 59mins
- 5Cabango
- 26Naughton
- 22Latibeaudiere
- 23Christie
- 8Grimes
- 4DownesBooked at 69mins
- 13WolfBooked at 29mins
- 17PiroeBooked at 80minsSubstituted forCongreveat 89'minutes
- 12PatersonSubstituted forFultonat 71'minutes
- 9ObafemiSubstituted forSmithat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 6Fulton
- 7Smith
- 10Ntcham
- 14Joseph
- 15Ogbeta
- 18Hamer
- 45Congreve
- Referee:
- Josh Smith
- Attendance:
- 27,280
Match Stats
Home TeamCardiffAway TeamSwansea
- Possession
- Home41%
- Away59%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away12
- Shots on Target
- Home2
- Away4
- Corners
- Home8
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away14
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 0, Swansea City 4.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Jay Fulton.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Jay Fulton.
Substitution
Substitution, Swansea City. Cameron Congreve replaces Joël Piroe.
Post update
Andrew Fisher (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Uche Ikpeazu (Cardiff City).
Post update
Attempt saved. Uche Ikpeazu (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cody Drameh.
Post update
Attempt missed. Aden Flint (Cardiff City) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Joe Ralls with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Ben Cabango.
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Foul by Ben Cabango (Swansea City).
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Uche Ikpeazu (Cardiff City) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Substitution
Substitution, Swansea City. Korey Smith replaces Michael Obafemi.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Rubin Colwill (Cardiff City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Goal!
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Swansea City 4. Michael Obafemi (Swansea City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner. Assisted by Hannes Wolf.
Booking
Joe Ralls (Cardiff City) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Booking
Joël Piroe (Swansea City) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Flynn Downes (Swansea City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Joe Ralls (Cardiff City).
Goal!
Goal! Cardiff City 0, Swansea City 3. Hannes Wolf (Swansea City) header from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cyrus Christie.
Comments
Join the conversation
Cardiff get battered everywhere they go, 1-2-3-4
😂😂
Almost 😂
Make it a double, boys
“Comment posted by return of the chung, at 20:51 19 Marreturn of the chung
20:51 19 Mar
Can’t wait for the derby, Morison has made big steps forward where as Russball continues to delude and you all pay to watch it lol”