MORTON manager Jonatan Johansson revealed the club missed out on signing a centre-back last month.

The Ton manager had spoken before the transfer window about how he would like to strengthen his side’s defence.

But in the end, while there were numerous changes to the midfield and forward line, as well as the arrival of two goalkeepers, the defence remained the same.

Lewis Strapp left the club on loan to Annan Athletic, with the left-back re-joining the same team he had spent the first half of the season with.

Johansson would not be drawn on names, but he revealed the club were ‘very close’ to bringing in another player before the deal fell through at the last minute.

With Rory McKeown currently sidelined with a calf injury and Lee Kilday also being forced off with a knock against Dundee United, it could leave Morton light in defence against Ayr United this weekend.

The manager told the Tele: “Defensively I would have liked to bring in one more defender but it wasn’t to be.

“We are short there still with injuries, we’ve been short there for a while now.

“A manager always wants to bring in more players, but you have to be realistic.

“I felt the priorities as they turned out lay elsewhere, and I tried to bring in a centre-half and we were very close but he went somewhere else at the last minute, and that was disappointing.”