24th May, 2014: Team Swansea clinch the Gwalia Cup for the second straight year with a 3-1 over West End at the Liberty Stadium. 11 months later, they found themselves there again. This time, the prize was greater: the West Wales Cup. They stepped off the bus keen to replicate what they had done a season earlier.

After an emphatic semi-final win, Team Swansea were full of confidence ahead of yesterday’s game. With a fully fit squad to choose from, sprits were high as the boys loosened up in the changing rooms. Each of the starting eleven knew their roles and could not wait to get started. sumfcTV caught up with central defensive pairing Greg King and Pete Hyndman before the game.

The game began as it would go on, with John Roberts causing all kinds of problems for the Ystradgynlais defence. In the opening minute, he scampered down the right hand side and crossed for Matt Barnard, who just couldn’t quite reach the pass. Ystradgynlais could have had a goal themselves just seconds later, when a searching cross dropped to their striker. But Pete Hyndman made a superb, last-ditch challenge to turn the ball away. The TS skipper went close to scoring again with the next attack, his header looping over the goalkeeper and landing on the roof of the net.

Team Swansea were up for the game and looked over the moon at being given the chance to play on such a superb surface. The opening goal came with their next break. Jo Palmer won the ball on the right and slid a perfect pass down the channel for Roberts to run on to. The no. 10 skipped inside two challenges and rounded the goalkeeper before slipping the ball into the empty net. It was the perfect start for a side who looked capable of special things.

But Ystradgynlais came right back and almost equalised immediately: a great cross from the right found their striker’s head, but his effort dropped just past the post.

Before there were 10 minutes on the clock, it was 2-0. Palmer, again the instigator, roamed forward on the right and whipped in a low cross for Roberts, who set it perfectly for an arriving Will Sparkes. The Doctor timed his run perfectly, hitting the ball in stride and into the bottom corner, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

With about 20 minutes gone, the rain began to subside, and a rainbow came out watch proceedings; as if the heavens themselves were expecting a show from the claret and blue. They arrived just in time to see Hyndman play a pass that Juan Sebastian Veron would have been proud of to Roberts. The forward controlled it beautifully, before tucking away his second and the team’s third.

Ystradgynlais had an excellent shout for a penalty at the other end as the ball appeared to strike Dan Jose’s forearm, but the referee ignored the claim. They had an excellent chance to pull one back a minute later, after Ryan Roberts could only parry a shot into their striker’s path. But he somehow turned it over the bar from close range.

A ruthless Team Swansea made Ystradgynlais pay for their missed opportunities by taking all of theirs. The fourth goal came after some sloppy Ystradgynlais passing led to a cross from the left hand side. Again, making a late, Gareth Barry-esque run, Sparkes arrived on queue to rattle home his brace.

When the half time whistle came, Ystradgynlais looked relieved to be given some respite from the onslaught. But Team Swansea showed no signs of letting up in their team talk; manager Joel Stevens-Leach imploring them to continue to move the ball more quickly.

Three minutes into the second half and Team Swansea had a chance for their fifth. Matt Barnard, who was once again outstanding all game long, was brought to the ground by the goalkeeper as he attempted to skip past him. The keeper was shown a yellow card, when it could easily have been a red. Up stepped Josh ‘Jim’ Allard, who dispatched the spot-kick with expertise, placing it into the bottom left corner of the goal.

Team Swansea looked the more energised, hungry, dangerous and disciplined as they continued their quest for victory. It was not long before John Roberts completed his hat-trick, tapping in the rebound from a long range Will Sparkes effort. The lipreaders in the stands could just about make out what Sparkes thought of the outcome.

Chants of “WE WANT SEVEN! WE WANT SEVEN!” could be heard from various pockets of the crowd and it was the captain who delivered. Running on to a through ball, Barnard held it up, turned his man and unleashed a bending strike with his left foot into the top corner past the helpless goalkeeper.

No sooner had the goalkeeper picked the ball out of his net, he was doing it again. Barnard pirouetted effortlessly on the half way line before slipping it to Roberts, who drove into the box and flicked the ball past the keeper, off both posts and into the net.

Ystradgynlais had the chance for a goal of their own. Hyndman mistimed his tackle inside the TS area and brought his man down. Up stepped their no. 9 to take the penalty… but Ryan Roberts was more than equal to it, reading it correctly and flying to his left to make the save with both hands.

The ninth and tenth goals both came courtesy of John Roberts. The ninth was a delicious chip that dropped perfectly into the centre of the goal and he completed his double hat-trick minutes later.

When the full-time whistle went, applause rang out in appreciation of a simply breathtaking team performance from Team Swansea. John Roberts stole the headlines, and rightly so, but this game was a culmination of everything that the squad have learned this year. In just their fourth season, Team Swansea have now achieved three promotions and won three cup tournaments. At the heart of each of these successes has been gaffer JSL, who had this to say after the game:

"Look, every week I send the lads out there with simple, specific instructions. Tonight, I asked us to make a statement to those watching and those in the local leagues... what happened next blew me away. All over the pitch we were solid. Perhaps Ystrad were unfortunate not to score in the first half, but we should have scored more, too. It was like a daydream. When we created this team, this was what we envisaged. But to see our creation, Team Swansea, romping in the West Wales Cup final... I'm both proud and humbled. I could not be prouder of anyone associated with this team. What a way to get win number 50 as gaffer!"

As terrific a finale this would be to any season, Team Swansea will now turn their attention to their Open Cup semi-final this weekend. The dream of promotion and two cup wins is alive...