MORTON manager Dougie Imrie has hit back at claims that departing midfielder Reece Lyon was forced to leave the Cappielow side out of the back door.

The Ton chief wants to put the record straight surrounding the departure of the 23-year-old midfielder and says he should know within himself that he didn’t do enough to make the cut at Cappielow.

Lyon recently told the Tele that the way his departure was handled had hurt him.

But Imrie insists he always gave the midfielder a fair crack of the whip.

He told the Tele: “I read the article before the Cove game and in all honesty, I don’t agree with it.

“Reece had a lot of opportunities under myself and other managers. And to put it bluntly, he hasn’t taken it.

“I don’t get how he was shunted out the door.

"The truth of the matter is, is that Reece left the club in January and that’s not been put out until just now, but he left in January to go and pursue another career.

“He wanted to pursue new things and wanted to go and play for Annan. He wanted to go in January but had played for two clubs, so that was the only option he had.

“He got a really good payoff from the club as well.

"Listen, it’ll be my fault, the manager always gets the fall and I’m okay with that.

"But we both know the matter of the truth and younger players are naive, saying things that maybe aren’t true.

“If he looks in the mirror and asks, did I do enough to play for Greenock Morton, I think deep down he’ll know the correct answer.”