Dai Sport

Russell Martin insists there is still much more to come from Swansea City after the head coach lavished more praise on match-winning pair Joel Piroe and Jamie Paterson. Both players scored for the second successive game as the Swans beat high-flying West Bromwich Albion on Wednesday night to make it back-to-back victories in the Championship for the first time this season. The 2-1 victory – achieved after Martin’s side had fallen a goal down inside the opening minute – has lifted the club up to 15th place, four points off the play-off spots.

By Paul Jones Under-fire Cardiff City boss Mick McCarthy will be hoping to halt an alarming run of six straight Championship defeats, when his side travel to Craven Cottage to face third place Fulham this evening (Wednesday). This is Cardiff’s worst league return since 1985 and the fans are stunned that the veteran boss is yet to receive his marching orders. Former Cardiff players, Bobby Decordova-Reid and Harry Wilson now play their football at Fulham and could inflict further pain on their former club tonight.

Joel Piroe plans to add to his Welsh derby goal with another at home to West Brom on Wednesday night to provide more updates for his next chat with Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Swans’ young Dutch striker – who has already been compared to a rookie Van Nistelrooy – still has one of the greatest Premier League strikers of his generation on speed dial, even though they stopped working together directly when Piroe left PSV Eindhoven this summer. Former Manchester United star Van Nistelrooy is now a coach at the Dutch club where he made his name and took a hand in shaping Piroe’s progress.

By Alex Bywater Cardiff Rugby and Wales full-back Hallam Amos caused a shock last week when he announced he was retiring from professional rugby at the end of the season aged just 27. Amos has been studying to become a doctor alongside his career at the highest end of the sport but will call it quits on his on-the-field career come the summer. Amos won 25 caps for Wales scoring six tries and he featured in two Rugby World Cups in 2015 and 2019 after making his debut against Uruguay in Cardiff in the first of those two tournaments.

Newly appointed Newport County manager James Rowberry could end up working alongside current caretaker boss Wayne Hatswell. County’s dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Carlisle on Tuesday night was the last match in charge for Hatswell, who stepped up after the resignation of Michael Flynn at the start of the month. Flynn’s former assistant is in talks about whether to stay on as Rowberry’s assistant after the Cardiff City  coach was confirmed as County’s new boss just before the game.

By Tom Prosser Welsh football star Jess Fishlock says “It’s Heart-breaking to see the abuse aimed at female footballers who are playing purely for their love of the game”- this has led to The Football Association of Wales and the Welsh Government joining forces to tackling online hate towards girls and women. “Trying to put someone down because of something they love, is not big, smart or funny,” explains Fishlock, who is Wales’ most capped footballer. “I always say that people should think about how the person receiving the abuse could be affected before sharing and I’m glad to have worked with my Cymru teammates and the FAW to further educate others on what is and isn’t acceptable online."