Swansea City has achieved great success in Wales  football history by winning the first League Cup trophy.

Totally one-sided. Call it what you will, but Swansea simply hammered Bradford City at Wembley.

Swansea will not mind as they won their first major honour in their centenary season. This is a record score in the League Cup final’s history and it was thoroughly deserved as Swansea outclassed Bradford in every department.

Bradford could not get the ball. On the rare times they did, they could not keep it. The finishing was first class, too, with Nathan Dyer starting the rout, Michu making it 2-0 and Dyer striking again two minutes into the second half.

The biggest battle Swansea faced was when Dyer tried to wrestle the ball off team-mate Jonathan de Guzman to take a penalty and get his hat-trick.

Dyer lost. De Guzman justified his stance, smashing the ball home, and then added the fifth in injury time. It was one of the greatest days in Welsh football history as they ensured the League Cup will be leaving England for the first time in its 50-year history.

Sensitivity to Welsh feelings meant the national anthem was not played before kick-off, yet it will be Swansea representing the flag of St George in Europe next season because this victory earns them a place in the Europa League.

Swansea deserve the honour. They won this trophy by also knocking out the holders Liverpool and the European champions Chelsea – just 10 years after they faced relegation out of the football league. Bradford were always unlikely to provide a stern test despite their own heroics of having beaten Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa en route to Wembley.

Phil Parkinson set up his team to contain. The plan looked as wobbly as a spider’s web in a breeze and, when Bradford did venture forward, Swansea struck with venom. They did not have their two banks of four in place and Swansea poured through.

Wayne Routledge fed Michu on the left of the area. The Spaniard shot and Matt Duke could only parry the ball to Dyer, who poked it home.

So what now for Bradford? Parkinson boldly shunned a coat on a bitter day and, in sharp suit, stood sentry-like in his technical area, arms folded as he watched his team unravel. There are 70 places between the two sides, and you could tell, Bradford trapped in their own half in maroon and amber hoops like bewildered insects.

Swansea, all in white, were the scientists able to prod and poke at will. Michu made it 2-0 after 40 minutes when Carl McHugh made the error of standing off him in the area. Michu is too good for that and curled his shot into the corner of the net.

Michu, 26, who arrived unheralded in the summer, scored after eight minutes in his first game, against QPR, and has carried on in that same blistering fashion. This was his 19th of a hugely impressive season.

Any hopes of an unlikely comeback died in the 47th minute when Dyer played a neat one-two with Routledge, cut inside, put the unfortunate McHugh on his backside and curled the ball past Andrew Davies and into the corner of the net. Arsenal and Villa fans were left to wonder how their teams had not managed to similarly open up this League Two side.

Then there were farcical scenes as Matt Duke was sent off for a trip on De Guzman and a penalty awarded.

Dyer and De Guzman had a heated and prolonged discussion about who was going to take it, with Dyer keen to rewrite history and become the first player to complete a hat-trick in a League Cup final.

De Guzman was no romantic and would not yield. Ugly. Dyer was so incensed that referee Kevin Friend had to go over and calm him down before Swansea could take the kick.

Substitute keeper Jon McLaughlin’s first touch was to pick the ball out as De Guzman buried the penalty. Dyer then hugged him as it seems all was forgiven – only to be taken off shortly afterwards.

A measure of how much Michael Laudrup understands the journey Swansea have taken was shown in the 62nd minute, when he gave the nod to club captain Garry Monk to join the action.

Monk has been involved in Swansea’s three promotions and even played a key role in this journey to Wembley, scoring a late winner at Crawley in round three.

Michu should have got a second in the 90th minute but was denied by a superb save, with Dwight Tiendalli smashing the rebound on to the bar.

A minute later, though, it was five. Angel Rangel crossed low for De Guzman to sidefoot home from close range.

The packed ranks of 40,000 Bradford supporters sang out their thank-you’s to their team over the final 25 minutes with a flag-waving frenzy in an outstanding show of support.

Their team finally got a shot on target when the busy Gary Jones scuffed one tamely at goalkeeper Gerhard Tremmel.

And that drew a roar every bit as loud as any of the Swansea goals had brought at the opposite end of the stadium.

Shame their team did not have as much heart and let Swansea know they were there.

Bradford City vs Swansea City Capital One Cup match facts

Bradford: Duke, Darby, McHugh, McArdle, Good (Davies 46), Atkinson, Jones, Doyle, Thompson (Hines 73), Wells (McLaughlin 57), Hanson.

Subs Not Used: Ravenhill, Reid, Connell, Turgott.

Sent Off: Duke (56).

Swansea: Tremmel, Rangel, Williams, Ki (Monk 62), Davies (Tiendalli 84), Dyer (Lamah 77), Britton, de Guzman, Routledge, Hernandez, Michu.

Subs Not Used: Vorm, Shechter, Moore, Agustien.

Booked: Ki.

Goals: Dyer 16, Michu 40, Dyer 47, de Guzman 59 pen, 90.

Att: 82,597

Ref: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

Bradford City 0 Swansea City 5 League Cup Final Video

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