THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
LONDON — Scott Sinclair grabbed a hat trick as Swansea beat Reading 4-2 in an absorbing League Championship playoff final on Monday to become the first Welsh team to earn a place in the English Premier League.
Swansea took a 3-0 lead into halftime at Wembley thanks to a double by Sinclair in the space of two minutes and fellow winger Stephen Dobbie’s fine first-time finish.
Noel Hunt and Matthew Mills reduced Reading’s deficit with goals in the opening 12 minutes of the second half to set up a dramatic finale, but Sinclair’s third goal — his second penalty of the match — clinched victory in front of more than 85,000 fans.
"It’s a magnificent feeling — we are all buzzing," said Sinclair, who joined Swansea from Chelsea last off-season.
Swansea, which eight years ago was a match away from relegation out of England’s four-tier Football League, ended a 28-year absence from England’s top division. Promotion is set to earn the club an estimated 90 million pounds (C$148 million) from commercial and broadcast revenue, as well as other income.
The Swans will be joined in the Premier League by Queens Park Rangers and Norwich, who finished first and second respectively at the end of the League Championship’s regular season to earn automatic promotion. Swansea had come third in the 24-team table, with Reading fifth.
"It’s a great feeling to be the top team in Wales," said Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers, who was fired by Reading 17 months ago. "Ourselves, Norwich and QPR will be a credit to the Premier League."
Sinclair opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 21st minute after Georgia centre back Zurab Khizanishvili brought down Nathan Dyer, and the winger made it 26 goals for the season by slotting in from close range just 36 seconds after the restart.
Dobbie smashed a low drive into the bottom corner from 25 yards in the 40th minute, but his team conceded goals from left-wing corners in the 49th and 57th minutes to give Reading a sniff of an amazing comeback.
Sinclair snuffed out the Royals’ hopes when he converted a second penalty after Andy Griffin’s clumsy foul on Fabio Borini in the 80th.