article: As seasons go, this one has been pretty close to perfect for Bristol City. Runaway leaders in Sky Bet League One, they became the first team in the Football League to mathematically secure promotion on Tuesday night - and in sensational style. Hitting Bradford City for six of the best in their own backyard saw them triumphantly over the finishing line, although given their free-wheeling and free-scoring form the result really came as little surprise. Aden Flint celebrates with a bottle of Sky Bet champagne following Bristol City's promotion . City players are sprayed with champagne after securing promotion from League One . And there’s more. Add to that their memorable Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory at Wembley last month - when Walsall were comfortably beaten 2-0 in the final - and you have a truly historic campaign for Steve Cotterill’s team. The season has been a personal triumph for tall, tattooed defender Aden Flint, who has played a central role in returning City to the Championship after two seasons away. His uncompromising defensive style has been combined with a knack of scoring from set-pieces, leading to 11 goals this season. Flint was on target at Wembley, fulfilling a childhood dream in the process, and also at Valley Parade on Tuesday. The Robins stars shower each other in their isotonic drinks following victory against Bradford City on Tuesday . Flint scores his side's fourth goal of the game as City earn an impressive 6-0 at Valley Parade . ‘When the players and the manager sat down at the start of the season, we had three aims,’ he tells Sportsmail. ‘The first was to win promotion back to the Championship, the second was to go up as champions and the third was to win the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. ‘We've managed to do two of the three and hopefully on Saturday we can achieve the other.’ That’s because City need another win to make absolutely sure they will be promoted as champions. The 25-year-old defender celebrates as the Robins earned promotion to the Championship in style . City manager Steve Cotterill celebrates promotion with a commemorative bottle of champagne . They currently lead Preston North End by 10 points but the Lancashire side have a game in hand and so three points are required against Coventry City at Ashton Gate this weekend. ‘Nobody wants that runners-up medal. The aim was always to go up as champions and we’re close to achieving that,’ Flint says. ‘We’ve had that winning habit and it’s a good one to get in to. We’ve been top of the league for most of the season and to drop down to second now would be disappointing.’ Seldom does one team dominate a division in this way. The lowest City have been placed is fifth and that was after their opening day fixture. The Robins have enjoyed a memorable season which has included lifting the Johnstone's Paint Trophy . Once again, Flint (right) made a huge contribution, giving City the lead against Walsall on March 22 . Flint wheels away in celebration after sending his side on their way to another memorable victory . Cotterill (left) and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas look delighted as they celebrate with the trophy at Wembley . They kicked on from there and set a ferocious pace throughout the autumn. Since September 13th, there has only been one week when they haven’t been top of the pile and they have lost just three games in all competitions since the New Year. Not that success has been reserved for the league. They reached the fourth round of the FA Cup, losing narrowly to Premier League West Ham, and claimed the Trophy too in front of over 40,000 of their fans at Wembley. Flint said: ‘I think any player dreams of scoring and winning at Wembley. There really isn't a better feeling in football. It is right up there with the highlights in my career but I would say that if we win on Saturday and go up as champions, that will push Wembley out.’ The defender’s goalscoring exploits have come as a surprise but he’s quick to credit his team-mates for the service: ‘I didn't expect to score as many as five to be honest! Flint holds the JPT with pride as he celebrates the 2-0 victory against Walsall last month . The defender was also named the Sky Bet League 1 Player of the Month for March . ‘I've just found myself in the right place at the right time to get on the end of all those set-pieces that have been delivered by the lads. ‘Aaron Wilbraham has bags of experience with him and has scored over 20 goals this season. Luke Freeman and Marlon Pack have been providing plenty of assists, not just for me but for everyone. ‘But everyone has chipped in, it has been a collective effort. The team spirit here has been the best I've ever experienced and it's been an enjoyable season.’ Promotion back to the Championship could be just the beginning of an exciting chapter in the club’s 118-year history. Aaron Wilbraham (right) has scored 18 domestic goals for the high-flying Robins this season . Billionaire owner Steve Lansdown (left) is funding a renovation of the club’s Ashton Gate home . Billionaire owner Steve Lansdown, who made his fortune in financial services, is funding a renovation of the club’s Ashton Gate home to expand the capacity to 27,000 and make it Premier League-ready. And, according to Flint, that’s precisely where the club is aiming: ‘We aim high and should be in the Championship, if not higher than that. ‘It's a massive city, I didn't realise how big it is until I moved here. It's surprising that the place hasn't got a Premier League team and maybe we can change that. ‘The chairman and the manager certainly have the ambition to achieve that. Seeing Bournemouth and Brentford doing so well in the Championship, nobody expected that and, who knows what will happen when we get there next season.’
highlights: Bristol City have earned promotion to the Championship .
  25-year-old Aden Flint has been crucial to their promotion push .
  Flint has chipped in with an impressive 11 goals so far this season .
  Defender scored during City's JPT victory against Walsall in March .
  Steve Cotterill's side are 10 points clear at the top of League One .
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