REECE Lyon netted his first goal of the campaign against Alloa — but revealed manager David Hopkin has helped perfect his defensive qualities.

While the academy graduate is an attacking threat, he is also aiming to help Ton keep clean sheets this season.

Lyon believes all the hard work he’s put in on his defensive game over preseason with Hopkin is now paying off.

He told the Tele: “The gaffer has been working with me on the defensive side of things. “He knew I had certain attributes that stood out but he’s been working with me on that.

“He’s big on his fitness too which showed in the goal, where I won the tackle and then ran up the park to score.

“It’s good to get off the mark so early in the season and obviously I hadn’t started the first game and didn’t get on, so I’m delighted to start my first game of the season and get off the mark.

“I personally thought I had played quite well in the Betfred Cup games, so I was disappointed not to start last week — but that’s how football goes.

“The gaffer puts a team out that he feels can beat the opposition ahead of us.

“I’m just delighted to be back in the fold and to build on those good performances.

“I’m not too sure just how I managed to cover so much ground for the goal but I knew Bob [McHugh] had the quality and instinct to ping the ball into my path, so it made it a lot easier for me to finish it off.”