REPUBLIC OF IRELAND striker Michael Obafemi continued his excellent run of form by netting twice in Swansea’s 4-0 hammering of Cardiff City in the Welsh derby this afternoon. 

Obafemi – who turned down a call-up to the Irish squad last month to prioritise his fitness – opened the scoring after eight minutes and then topped it all off with his second goal eight minutes from time. Obafemi has now scored six goals in his last six games. 

Another Irish international, Cyrus Christie, assisted the other two goals in an emphatic win that keeps the Swans a place ahead of Cardiff in 16th place. It was, remarkably, the first time either side had completed the league double over the other in 110 years of the fixture. 

Elsewhere, a John Egan own goal secured a 1-0 victory for Stoke as they dealt Sheffield United’s play-off hopes a blow.

The Potters, who have now won two consecutive league games for the first time since November, missed a sequence of glorious opportunities before eventually breaking the deadlock with a slice of fortune.

Now without a win in five games on their travels, the promotion-hopeful Blades struggled to assert themselves as they slipped out of the play-off fray.

Fulham are just nine points from an instant return to the Premier League following a 2-0 win away to QPR, with both goals scored by Aleksander Mitrovic. 

Irish internationals Jimmy Dunne and Jeff Hendrick were unused substitutes for Rangers. Bournemouth look likely to join Fulham in the Premier League next season following a 3-2 victory over Bristol City. Mark Travers played in goal for Scott Parker’s side. 

Fourth-placed Luton Town were held 2-2 at home to Millwall, with Middlesbrough vaulting to fifth with a 4-0 hammering of basement club Peterborough. Aaron Connolly played the full game for ‘Boro but didn’t get among the goals. Blackburn are sixth having conceded a 99th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Coventry. They had to make do without their captain Darragh Lenihan, sidelined with the groin injury that took him out of the Irish squad last week. 

They are a point ahead of Nottingham Forest, who hammered Blackpool 4-1 earlier today. Forest, however, have three games in hand on Rovers. 

At the bottom, Festy Ebosele and Jason Knight both started Derby County’s crucial 1-0 win against Preston, the decisive goal netted by Ravel Morrison. It takes Wayne Rooney’s side within six points of safety, with six games remaining. The team to catch is Reading, who drew 1-1 with fellow strugglers Barnsley. 

In League One, James McClean scored for Wigan but they missed the chance to go top of the league ahead of Rotherham as they were held 1-1 by Bolton. Wigan are now level on points with Rotherham with a game in hand. They are being kept honest in the automatic places by MK Dons, who are a point behind in third place after a 2-0 win against Shrewsbury, in which Troy Parrott and Conor Coventry played the full 90 minutes. 

With reporting by Press Association