IT IS a remarkable story that just four years ago, Barry Town United football club were on the brink of extinction, facing a High Court battle to keep the club alive.

But under the guidance of long-serving manager Gavin Chesterfield, the club's resurgence from near-oblivion culminated in last season's Division One title, sealing a return to the top flight of Welsh football after a 13 year absence.

The club's season marked their third promotion in four years, along with a run to the Welsh League Cup final in which they knocked out several top-tier opposition, before ultimately losing out to The New Saints.

A self-confessed "football romantic," Chesterfield believes that Barry's time has come to once again take on the superpowers of the Welsh Premier League.

Now entering his eleventh year - and with a new contract extension already signed - Chesterfield spoke about some of the key moments from last season that helped give momentum to Barry's return to the top flight.

Saturday, December 17, 2016: Undy Athletic 1-2 Barry Town United

"It's strange really. You see key moments in the season where fortune swings," said Chesterfield.

Barry had started the season strongly, but despite good home form they had failed to win any of their opening five away league fixtures.

"We didn't win an away game up until the last match before Christmas, when we travelled to Undy Athletic."

Drew Fahiya's strike had given Barry a 1-0 lead going in to half-time, but James Barnes' finish for the hosts had looked set to earn Undy a draw as the game entered its final stages.

"Ryan Evans - local lad, centre-half - scored in the 93rd minute to win it 2-1. That was our first away win of the season," said Chesterfield.

"After Christmas, we won nine away games on the bounce.

"It just sort of transformed the season really. Before that, you have an attitude of "come on we need a point away from home to get us on the road," or wondering "can we get a result?"

"We got a result and the boys never looked back, so that was a massive turning point."

Saturday, January 21, 2017: The New Saints 4-0 Barry Town United

By late January, Barry were flying high in the league and had put top flight opposition in Carmarthen, Haverfordwest and Cardiff Met all to the sword in the league cup, earning themselves a spot in the final against The New Saints.

The Welsh Premier League champions meanwhile had only recently seen their world-record run of consecutive wins come to an end. They had last lost to Barry in 2001.

Despite a battling performance and with the scores level with less than a quarter of an hour remaining, The New Saints went on to win 4-0.

"I do think the cup final was a big turning point, because it gave the lads a taste of what might be.

"It gave the lads an idea of the challenge of the opposition. It gave them a taste of that level that you need to step up to."

Barry went on to lose just twice during the remainder of the season, something Chesterfield feels was spurred by their reaction to the defeat.

"At that moment when you lose, you've got two or three options. The first one is to way we've done well to get to the final. The second one is to say yeah, we've done well, but I'm not happy with that. I'd rather try and kick on now and sample that a little bit more.

"And the third one is to say I want that regularly. I want that in everything we do.

"The boys decided to kick on after that and went on a fantastic run."