Gretna manager Davie Irons and his assistant, Derek Collins, have resigned from their posts at the SPL bottom-club to take over at First Division side Greenock Morton.

Irons leaves the Scottish Premier League new-boys rock bottom of the table, nine points from safety.

The pair's departure adds to the crisis already going on at the club, with the players recently being told that they would not be paid on time due to the illness of owner Brook Mileson.

Irons, 46, spent less than a year in charge of the club, after spending two years as assistant to manager Rowan Alexander.

He took over as caretaker in March 2007 after Alexander took time off from the job.

The following month Gretna finished as champions of the First Division and won promotion to the SPL for the first time in their history and Irons was given the job on a full-time basis that summer.

Irons' final record as manager of Gretna is seven wins, nine draws and 21 defeats.

Eurosport