Blog Catch Up: Bristol City 8 Walsall 2

Aden Flint was a hat trick hero as League One Champions City finished the season in style.

Flint risked being drummed out of the Central Defenders Union though when he cancelled out Walsall winger Jordy Hiwula's thirteenth minute opener with a stunning strike three minutes later.

Midfielder Marlon Pack picked out 6' 5" Flint with a cross from the left flank and he curled home a sweetly struck fourteen yard left foot volley to leave rookie keeper Craig MacGillivray, 22, no chance in only his second league game.

Robins boss Steve Cotterill joked:

"I said the strikers they should be ashamed of themselves when someone like Aden scores hat tricks. When he hit that volley I knew it had been a special season."

Striker Jay Emmanuel-Thomas put City ahead from the spot in the 20th minute after winger Kieran Morris handled a cross from defender Derrick Williams.

Walsall looked determined to ruin the Champion's party when Hiwula drilled a low shot through the legs of defender Luke Ayling and under the body of Fielding for his ninth goal in seventeenth starts.

But City took full control after the break when they rattled in four goals in ten minutes.

In the 57th minute Emmanuel-Thomas cleared a Morris corner and midfielder Korey Smith raced from his own half before teeing up striker Kieran Agard to net from the right side of the box.

Five minutes later Emmanuel-Thomas cut the ball back from the byline for midfielder Pack to side foot home his third of the campaign from fourteen yards.

Within one minute Emmanuel-Thomas burst past two defenders into the box and smashed in his twelfth goal of the campaign with a fierce eight yard shot from a tight angle on the left.

Flint then claimed his brace when he stabbed Luke Freeman's right wing cross past MacGillivray at the near post to leave Walsall reeling.

In the 85th minute Flint sealed the game of his life when he belted in his third at the far post after reaching a left wing ball cross from substitute Wade Elliott.

Agard completed the rout with his fourteenth of the season from twelve yards from the right side of the area in the 91st minute.

Dean Smith was left embarrassed by the biggest defeat of his managerial career and groaned:

"We conceded from four corners and one of them was our corner! I thought we were very good for an hour until they scored their third.

"It tells me an awful lot about players I've got and next week we've got contract discussions. I felt for the kid MacGillivray. None of the goals were his fault - I hope he's not scarred."