Reading 2 - 4 Swansea: Scott Sinclair's hat-trick propels Swansea back into big time

The victory also landed Swansea a massive financial windfall, with the fixture billed as the "richest match in football" because of an estimated 90million in revenue awaiting the club promoted to the Premier League, largely from broadcasting income.

Sinclair's 25th and 26th goals of the season in a devastating two-minute spell midway through the first half set Swans on their way - the opener coming from the penalty spot - before former St Johnstone, Hibernian and Queen of the South striker Stephen Dobbie added a third.

It was a second consecutive play-off success for Dobbie, who was part of the Blackpool team who won promotion to the Premier League last season while on loan to the Bloomfield Road club, before returning to Championship duty with Swansea this season. He gave his medal to his mother back home in Glasgow last year, but said after that match that he hoped to keep this one.

Dobbie said: "We knew Reading would come out and make it a fantastic second half. To be a part of this team, to make history and for a team from Wales to be in the Premier League is an honour."

In what was another thrilling clash befitting the Wembley showpiece, Reading displayed plenty of never-say-die spirit and hauled themselves right back into it through a Joe Allen own goal and Matthew Mills.

But Sinclair, signed from Chelsea last summer, smashed home his second penalty of the afternoon in the 80th minute to become only the second player, behind Clive Mendonca, to bag a play-off final treble at Wembley and ensure Swansea are the first non-English club to compete in the Premier League since its formation in 1992.

Victory ends a 28-year wait for top-flight football for Swansea and completes an astonishing eight-year turnaround for the south Wales club after they narrowly avoided relegation from the Football League.

For manager Brendan Rodgers, it was victory against the club he served for a total of 14 years as player, youth coach, reserve coach and an unsuccessful six-month stint as manager in 2009.

His replacement 17 months ago, Brian McDermott, was able to call upon influential winger Jimmy Kebe after he passed a fitness test on a thigh injury.

Rodgers kept faith with the same line-up who saw off Nottingham Forest 3-1 in the second leg of their semi.

That meant defender Alan Tate and midfielder Leon Britton walked out for the club having been part of that dramatic final-day survival in 2003.

And once the fireworks had gone off and the red carpet had been tucked away, the anticipated free-flowing, passing football failed to materialise in the opening exchanges. Swans skipper Garry Monk survived a convincing appeal for handball in the penalty area before Zurab Khizanishvili brought down Nathan Dyer at the other end.

It left Sinclair to send Adam Federici the wrong way from the spot and the Georgian centre-back lucky to avoid a second yellow card.

And just 60 seconds later, with 22 minutes on the clock, it was 2-0. Khizanishvili was having an afternoon to forget and he was left standing by Dobbie on the right. He squared the ball into the danger area and Federici's weak hand failed to stop it travelling to Sinclair who tapped home at the far post.

Swansea's lead was further strengthened five minutes before the break as Dyer used his pace down the right and his cross was only half-cleared by Khizanishvili to the grateful Dobbie, who fired home a third from the edge of the area.

Reading's 25-goal top scorer Shane Long then mis-kicked a glorious opportunity wide just before the break.

Matters went from bad to worse for the Royals at half-time as first-team coach Nigel Gibbs was sent to the stands and substitute Jay Tabb also dismissed for something said to referee Phil Dowd.

But the Berkshire outfit were given a glimmer of hope within four minutes of the restart as Noel Hunt's header went in via a touch from Allen after Jobi McAnuff's corner.

And the Wembley roof was raised as Matthew Mills made it 3-2 in the 57th minute.

Swans once more failed to deal with a McAnuff corner from the left and the Reading skipper rose highest to head home from six yards. The clash remained finely balanced as it approached the final quarter, but that changed ten minutes from time as Andy Griffin brought down Fabio Borini in the area, leaving Sinclair to beat Federici for the second time from 12 yards. It was the cue for more than 40,000 Swansea supporters to party.Reading: Federici, Griffin (Robson-Kanu 84), Mills, Khizanishvili, Harte, Kebe, Karacan, Leigertwood, McAnuff, Long, Hunt (Church 76). Subs Not Used: McCarthy, Tabb, Howard, Cummings, Pearce.

Swansea: De Vries, Rangel, Monk, Williams, Tate, Dyer, Britton (Gower 77), Dobbie (Pratley 55), Allen (Moore 89), Sinclair, Borini. Subs Not Used: Ma-Kalambay, Beattie, Serran, Richards.