Report | Cardiff City 0 Swansea City 4
Swansea City made south Wales derby history as goals from Michael Obafemi, Ben Cabango and Hannes Wolf saw them complete the first league double in the 110 years of the fixture.
Having won the first meeting on home turf back in October, the Swans made a dream start at Cardiff City Stadium as Obafemi finished from close range after a lovely flowing attack down the right.
And Cabango – a player who was once rejected by Swansea’s south Wales rivals as a youngster – fired home just before the hour mark before Wolf’s far post header put the visitors out of sight.
And Obafemi put the icing on the cake when he smashed his second of the game high into Alex Smithies’ net to give the Swans their biggest-ever away win in the derby.
It was no less than the Swans deserved for a dominant display, as they rose to the challenge posed by head coach Russell Martin and captain Matt Grimes to impose their game in a hostile environment and accept the responsibility to accomplish something special for the club and city.
All the talk pre-match had been about Gareth Bale’s message of support to the home side – so he could enjoy getting one over on Wales team-mate Connor Roberts.
But the former Swansea defender will be the one with a smile on his face and relishing the bragging rights after a pair of handsome victories over the club’s fierce rivals.
Swansea had shown three changes from the draw with Birmingham as Joel Latibeaudiere, Jamie Paterson and Flynn Downes came in for Finley Burns, Korey Smith and Olivier Ntcham.
The Swans could have led inside 30 seconds. Joel Piroe lofted a superb ball in towards Obafemi, and the flag stayed down as the Cardiff defence stood static, but the striker could not get a telling touch on the ball.
Cyrus Christie then delivered a threatening ball from the right that was well cut out by Mark McGuinness before the Swans took a sixth-minute lead as Obafemi made amends for the earlier miss.
The visitors produced a lovely flowing move involving Piroe, Paterson, Downes and Cabango that ended with Obafemi turning in the Dutchman’s cross from the right.
It was a dream start for the Swans, but Cardiff sought a rapid response and Kyle Naughton produced a superb defensive header to clear Perry Ng’s flat delivery into the box.
And there was more alarm when Jordan Hugill had a shot blocked after Tommy Doyle had stretched to reach Cody Drameh’s cross, with the ball dribbling wide of Andy Fisher’s post.
It was frantic stuff, skipper Grimes having a shot blocked at the other end before Wolf had a great chance to double the lead after a ricochet fell to him.
The Austrian advanced into the area but saw his effort blocked by a recovering home defence.
The game began to settle with the Swans enjoying the majority of possession and a decent semblance of control over proceedings.
Piroe curled over from the right side of the area 10 minutes before the break, before Joe Ralls hit a firm shot into Fisher’s grasp a few moments later.
The Dutchman then fired over after excellent build-up work by Christie and Obafemi had worked room for him on the edge of the box.
And Obafemi was then denied a massive chance moments before the break as he seized on Adeb Flint’s error, only for Ng to make a magnificent diving challenge as the Swansea forward entered the penalty area.
Nevertheless, the visitors still led at the interval and came through a scrappy opening to the second period with their lead intact.
And they extended their lead with 56 minutes on the clock to spark delirium in the away end.
Paterson’s corner was driven towards goal by Grimes, and fell to Cabango. The defender had time to open up his body and fire an unerring drive into the bottom corner in front of the travelling Jacks.
Swansea were rolling, with Wolf pulling a cross agonisingly behind Obafemi, before Paterson volleyed over.
Cardiff sent on Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies in search of a way back into the game, and Christie made an excellent intervention at the far post as the latter waited to meet a cross from the former.
Cardiff had barely threatened but Hugill wasted a big chance to pull a goal back for the hosts when he planted a free header wide of the target from 10 yards.
Obafemi had a shot deflected wide on the counter, while Grimes made a terrific block in his own box amid a goalmouth scramble.
Ng sent an effort narrowly wide from distance as the clock ran down into the final 15 minutes.
But the Swans put the game to bed when a swift attack down the right ended with Christie standing up a cross for Wolf to head home his first Swansea goal.
And there was more still to come as Obafemi picked up his second of the game by rifling into the top corner from the edge of the area on an afternoon to savour for Jacks everywhere.
Cardiff City: Alex Smithies; Perry Ng, Aden Flint, Mark McGuinness; Cody Drameh, Tommy Doyle (Rubin Colwill 58), Joe Ralls (captain), Ryan Wintle, Joel Bagan; Mark Harris (Isaak Davies 58), Jordan Hugill (Uche Ikpeazu 70).
Unused Substitutes: Dillon Phillips, Will Vaulks, Curtis Nelson, Alfie Doughty.
Swansea City: Andy Fisher; Joel Latibeaudiere, Kyle Naughton, Ben Cabango; Cyrus Christie, Flynn Downes, Matt Grimes (captain), Hannes Wolf; Joel Piroe (Cameron Congreve 88), Jamie Paterson (Jay Fulton 71); Michael Obafemi (Korey Smith 86).
Unused Substitutes: Ben Hamer, Finley Burns, Kyle Joseph, Nathanael Ogbeta.
Referee: Josh Smith