Swansea in Premier League

Monday, 30/05/2011

Swansea City are the first Welsh side in the Premier League.

They created history with a pulsating 4-2 victory over Reading in the Championship play-off final at Wembley.

The Swans are back in the English top-flight for the first time in 28 years with the help of a hat-trick from Scott Sinclair.

The winger put City ahead from the penalty spot after 21 minutes and just two minutes later scored his second. Stephen Dobbie made it 3-0 just before half-time and the game looked over.

But Reading, who had dominated the opening stages, bounced back with a Joe Allen own goal just four minutes after the restart and added a second through Matt Mills on 57 minutes.

Sinclair was handed his second penalty ten minutes from the end and it was game over despite Reading's valiant attempts at a fightback.

Swansea, only recently threatened with liquidation, are set to cash in with a windfall that could be worth up to £90m.

It was Reading's third defeat in a play-off final and came at the hands of their former boss Brendan Rodgers, who was also a player on the books with the Royals, although he never played a first-team game.

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