ROBINS ROCK ON BIG STAGE
City cruise to final glory
StEvE Cotterill’s dapper cup final suit was ruined, drenched in the champagne poured over him by his elated players. But he didn’t care one bit.
‘they can tip champagne over me any day of the week if we win,’ laughed the thrilled Bristol City manager.
after all, this is City’s season. they’re coasting to the league One title and, with a handsome piece of silverware already in the cabinet, the good times have returned to ashton gate.
this was as straightforward as a Wembley final gets. they lifted the Johnstone’s Paint trophy in front of 40,000 jubilant Bristolians after goals from aden Flint and Mark little saw off Walsall’s meek challenge.
But this was merely a taste of things to come. With a 10-point advantage over their nearest league challengers Preston North End, City will surely also be lifting a trophy the next time they meet Walsall, in the last game of the season on May 3.
like so often during this campaign, they were in control from start to finish, showing the greater assurance in front of goal in a game of few chances.
Now comes the task of crossing the finish line and completing a double but it would take a collapse of spectacular proportions to deny them a return to the Championship after two seasons away.
‘Hopefully this can push us on to finish the season off,’ said Cotterill, who also enjoyed Wembley success in the 1998 Fa trophy final with hometown club Cheltenham town.
‘ the one thing they have experienced today is that 30-40 minutes of euphoria and it’s really important to feel that early in your career.
‘We have a fixation now — we just want to win the league.’
the 50-year-old appears to be on a mission to put the West Country on the footballing map, saying the area had been starved of success.
‘they play a lot of rugby at school, so for the football teams to achieve success is good for the kids in the area,’ he added in a cheeky dig at the real king of sports in the region.
days like this will certainly help inspire the next generation of City fans. Once the flames and pyrotechnics had faded at Wembley, the favourites immediately seized control.
their enormous following only had to wait 15 minutes for the breakthrough when Flint outmuscled his marker to head home Marlon Pack’s corner at the back post.
it seemed a second City goal would settle a game lacking in entertainment and it duly arrived six minutes after the break.
luke Freeman’s dancing feet worked space for a cross down the left and though goalkeeper richard O’donnell blocked little’s initial header, the right back bundled home with his knee. Both Freeman and little were excellent, causing constant problems for the Walsall back line. that moment was a fitting reward for their efforts.
Walsall were disappointing, but things might have turned out differently had Frank Fielding not turned Jordan Cook’s vicious cross on to the post moments after the second goal.
‘i just felt if we scored at any time it would have given us that lift,’ said saddlers boss dean smith. ‘i’m proud of getting here but disappointed with the result.’
For Bristol City, you sense, this success was merely an appetiser for greater glories to come.