Robins at the double as Aden Flint and Mark Little seal Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory

BRISTOL CITY completed the first part of a potential league and cup double after they beat Walsall in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final at Wembley.

Mark LittleGETTY

Mark Little scored shortly after half-time

Thanks to goals from Aden Flint and Mark Little, the Robins lifted this knockout tournament for lower-league clubs for a record third time in the competition’s 32-year history.

Should they secure promotion to the Championship by winning the League One title – they are 10 points clear at the top – they will become the first team since Birmingham City 20 years ago to achieve such a double.

“I grew up an hour down the road in Cheltenham. I’m a West Country boy – so it’s fantastic to win this,” said Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill. “I’m delighted with the performance. We executed our plan perfectly. After this, it’s vital we win promotion now.”

With a crowd of 72,315 at Wembley, this was one of the biggest football attendances in Europe over the weekend, bar El Clasico in Spain. It is just a shame the quality of the match did not live up to such high billing.

Once pre-match favourites Bristol City took the lead in the 15th minute the result felt inevitable; Flint outjumped the Walsall defence from a corner to head in his 10th goal of this campaign. In the 51st minute, the scoreline was doubled when Little kneed the ball over the goal line after goalkeeper Richard O’Donnell had blocked the initial header.

Walsall, making their first appearance at Wembley in their 127-year history, had few chances to leave any lasting impression. Of the ones they had, left-back Andy Taylor shaved the crossbar with a well-executed volley while a cross from Jordan Cook hit the post before being cleared. 

“We didn’t perform anywhere near our level,” said Walsall manager Dean Smith. “Our use of the ball wasn’t good enough. We knew height would be a factor at set-pieces and so it proved.”

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