Scott "Quitting Chelsea was the best decision I ever made"

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Reading 2 - 4 Swansea City

It was a long haul to glory. After 48 matches in the Championship and play-offs Swansea had to resist a Reading recovery from 3-0 down at half-time in the 49th. They held on for a time after Brian McDermott's side had scored twice before striking again to secure a 4-2 win. They did so, above all, because of a hat-trick from Scott Sinclair, who was once a prodigy at Chelsea.

The second of the penalties he converted ended Reading's hope 10 minutes from full-time. Andy Griffin needlessly felled Fabio Borini and Sinclair once more converted the penalty with a shot to the goalkeeper's right. Brendan Rogers' side will be the first Welsh club in the top flight since the inception of the Premier League.

Reading were generally incapable initially of resisting pressure and the taxing encounter anticipated did not break loose until the second-half. There was logic to the outcome since Swansea had prevailed in both meetings with Reading in the regular season, but the 1-0 margins had suggested strain and tension of a different sort at Wembley.

Swansea looked for a time as if they could spend the whole occasion reeling off goals. The Reading centre-half Zurab Khizanishvilli was in such distress that he could have had a red card instead of a single caution. It was the Georgian who brought down Nathan Dyer in the 21st minute and Sinclair sent the goalkeeper Adam Federici the wrong way with the penalty.

The scorer had a further goal a minute later, knocking the ball home after Federici was able only to tip a low cross from Stephen Dobbie into his path. In the 45th minute, Khizanishvilli floundered once more by diverting the ball so that Dobbie could put his name on the scoresheet.

Reading were in such disarray then that it did not seem so surprising that the referee Phil Dowd should send the assistant manager, Nigel Gibbs, and the substitute Jay Tabb to the stands at the interval following his encounter with them in the tunnel.

The passion was put to better use by an eager and suddenly incisive Reading following the interval. Joe Allen was credited with an own goal after Noel Hunt's header from a Jobi McAnuff corner deflected off the midfielder and past Dorus De Vries at the near post. A further corner would see Matt Mills score in the 57th minute, but nothing was to eclipse Sinclair and Swansea.

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Haha...Cardiff City supporters won't be happy

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Haha...Cardiff City supporters won't be happy

It was Reading who bundled Cardiff out of the playoffs. But the Royals were no match for the Welsh-based Swans in the end. Cardiff fans still can take pride in the fact that EPL has one team from Wales.

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Sinclair's Wembley hat-trick in Monday's Championship play-off win over Reading guarantees a £90million windfall for the first Welsh side in the Premier League.

And it also vindicated the England Under-21 winger's decision to call time on his Chelsea ambitions last summer.

Sinclair, 22, had five years at Stamford Bridge but played just five league games and was loaned out six times.

But now the king of the Valleys finally feels wanted.

He said: "Leaving Chelsea was the best decision I ever made as I'm finally playing every weekend, showing everyone what I can do.

"When you join a club on loan, you're not a part of the team. I got promoted with Birmingham but didn't feel the same emotions as now as I knew I was going back to Chelsea.

"Today, I'm feeling a part of Swansea's success because I've been involved all season.

"Last summer, I could have gone on loan again but I'd had enough of that. I had the chance to sign for another Premier League club but decided it was best to join a manager who knows me and gave me confidence.

"Brendan Rodgers was the main reason I signed for Swansea as we knew each other when he was reserve-team manager at Chelsea."

Sinclair's 27-goal season has alerted Premier League sides but he insists: "I'm going to be playing for Swansea next season."

Roberto Martinez had Sinclair at Wigan and, while he failed to shine then, the Latics boss expects great things of him now.

He said: "Scott's got what he deserved. He needed to go back to the Championship and play 40-odd games in order to fulfil his potential. He's ready for the Premier League now - and could have a massive impact."

Swans chairman Huw Jenkins insists his side will stick to their passing style next term. He said: "We'll stay on the same path, it's the reason we are where we are."

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Hope The Swans can hold on to him. He will be targeted from other top teams...