Pontypridd v Ebbw Vale. Principality Premiership Grand Final. Sunday. KO 4pm.

EBBW Vale head coach Jason Strange and his troops have the faith to believe they can spring a major upset against upset by beating Pontypridd in this weekend's Principality Premiership Grand Final.

The Steelmen head to Sardis Road on Sunday on the crest of a wave after vanquishing Gwent rivals Cross Keys 27-17 at last week's humdinger of a play-off at Eugene Cross Park.

Victory for Vale would cap an astonishing season and see them Premiership champions for the first time in their inaugural season back in the top flight since their promotion from the Swalec Championship last year.

But the task before them is enormous.

The top dogs of Welsh club rugby since Neath's demise over the last five years, Pontypridd are smoking hot favourites to seal a third successive league title.

But stranger things have happened and no one knows this more than Ponty who suffered a cataclysmic defeat to Bridgend in the Swalec Cup final at the Millennium Stadium at the beginning of the month.

Most pundits had predicted the Sardis Road outfit would just rack up the points in an easy win over the Ravens to complete the first leg of their treble double after also winning the Swalec Cup in 2013 and 2014.

But they were given the shock of their lives as a Bridgend side, despite rumours of a unhappy camp and with many players leaving next season for pastures new, stunned them 19-15.

Of course it remains to be seen whether this setback has had a serious psychological impact on Ponty or if it will spur them on to ensure that lightning doesn't strike twice.

It is a quandary that Strange is fully aware of but he remains confident his men can silence the Sardis Road faithful on Sunday.

"Pontypridd are a special team," he admitted. "And their defeat to Bridgend certainly hasn't made things easier for us.

"We will be working hard all week and we know that anything can happen over the course of 80 minutes.

"So we've got to stay really positive and give it a go "