End of a great era for W&B boss Steve Rayner

THERE were tears of joy, tinged with sadness as Whitecroft and Barton Sports manager Steve Rayner hung up his coaching boots and watched his side play and win like champions for the last time under his leadership.

As a nice touch of sportsmanship, the visitors performed a guard of honour for Rayner and his title-winning side, who claimed their sixth Division 1 Island League title in a row — without kicking a ball — four days earlier.

It was an emotional day for Steve Rayner, 72, who took charge of W&B for the last time on Saturday.

On a searing day, W&B took the lead when Harry Ovnik played a lovely ball to Martin McDonough, who beat the offside trap to slot home on six minutes.

On 20 minutes, W&B doubled their lead when Jack East pounced after Jake Wright’s shot was parried onto the bar.

A fantastic save from Sandown keeper Alex Ram, which kept them in the game .

Sandown’s management team must have feared a cricket score at that stage, especially when fielding six under-18s against a strong, experienced side.

But they started to settle into the game and played some good football, without being a scoring threat, with their keeper, Alex Ram, pulling off a string of excellent saves to keep it down to just the two goals by the interval.

Alex Ram tips the ball on to the bar, but Jack East (out of picture) pounced to score from the rebound.

It was one-way traffic in the second half in the energy-sapping heat, but W&B had to wait until the 78th minute when Ryan Hughes weaved through Sandown’s defence to finish neatly.

The fourth came in the 89th minute — Wright squaring the ball superbly for Nathan Martin to bury it from five yards.

Action from the W&B v Sandown game on Saturday.

Afterwards, Steve Rayner said: “I’m very proud to be associated with the club and the accolades I’ve received, but it is the players who deserve all the credit.

“I got very emotional after the game. It was very sad to end it all.

W&B put Sandown's defence under pressure.

“All credit to Sandown, who played the game the right way and never gave up.”

W&B: True, Hughes, Ovnik, Shaw, Martin, A.Sainsbury, Rayner, J.Wright, Appell, McDonough, East. Subs: Gifford, Adams, A.Wright.

Sandown: Ram, Mulholland, Field, Parkinson, James, Coe, Turner, Cantelo, Cook, Sanderson, Bardell. Subs: Thomas.