EX-MORTON skipper Stewart Greacen last night admitted his former club were denied an obvious penalty on Saturday — but also argued none of their other claims were clear cut.

Centre-half Greacen played the full 90 minutes as his current side Stenhousemuir defeated the Ton 2-1 at Ochilview.

The amiable 32-year-old felt that Greg Fleming’s challenge on Declan McManus should have resulted in a spot-kick for the visitors.

However, he also insisted that a trio of further claims were doubtful, in particular one handball shout made against himself.

He told the Tele: “Of the penalty claims on Saturday, I think that one when the lad McManus knocked it round the goalie was the one that looked like a penalty, no doubt about it.

“It was a sort of coming together. Declan has pushed it around big Greg and then there’s been contact. I don’t know if the ball was maybe going out for a goal kick and that affected the referee’s decision not to give it. But it certainly looked as if there was a strong case for a penalty with that one. I might even have said that to him at the time; I genuinely can’t remember. I don’t know the lad so it might just have been in passing.

“I can understand how Jim Duffy and Morton would be quite upset with that decision. With the other ones, I didn’t really think they were penalties.

“They would have been soft if they had been awarded and could have gone either way. There were also fouls we could have had — obviously not as big as penalties — but debatable ones over the game.

“They say they even out over the course of the season and we’ve not had that much luck this season to be honest. It was maybe the wee bit of luck we needed.” Greacen was involved in the visitors’ final spot-kick claim, with the Ton fans screaming for handball against him in the third minute of stoppage time.

He explained: “The one involving myself happened that quickly. If it did hit my arm, it was definitely — definitely — unintentional.

“With the astroturf pitch, even we are trying to get used to the bounce and stuff.

“What happened was a ball was played over the top and I just got there and it checked up off the pitch.

“It was the last minute and I’m experienced enough not to go handling it at that stage. I think that by that time there were calls for penalties every time Morton got in our box!” Greacen made 279 appearances in Morton colours over the course of a season-long loan from Livingston and a memorable seven-year spell, during which time he lifted the Second Division title.

Saturday’s fixture was his first time he had faced the Cappielow club since leaving in 2010, and he said it was nice to reacquaint himself with some old friends.

He said: “I’ve been over playing in Derry for three years so it was the first time I’ve played against Morton. There were no players there from my time. It just shows the transition there’s been. It’s just coming up for four years since I left and there’s not even one player left.

“It was a good to see familiar faces in the crowd. Liz Irvine sponsored my strip for years and I went over to see her.

“Morton’s her life, and a football club needs punters like that. There were plenty of the diehards from my time still following the team.

“I met the chairman before the game and saw Crawford [Rae] as well. Then there was Andy Bryan and David Wylie behind the scenes. It was nice to see them all again.

“I spent a total of around eight or nine years of my career at Morton and I’d like to think I gave the club some good service and always gave 100 per cent. I had good times at the club and would like to see ourselves and Morton do well in the league this season.”