Morton boss Jim Duffy 'embarrassed' by fracas with Hibernian's Neil Lennon

Players and managers became involved in an angry exchange at Easter Road

Greenock Morton manager Jim Duffy says he is "embarrassed" by his conduct near the end of Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Hibernian.

Duffy, 57, and Hibs counterpart Neil Lennon, 45, were sent to the stand as tempers flared at Easter Road.

Morton's Kudus Oyenuga was sent off for a tackle on Jordon Forster and Hibs' Darren McGregor was dismissed for violent conduct in the aftermath.

"I acted immaturely - but I am not 12 years old," Duffy said.

Lennon claimed afterwards that Duffy had asked him for a "square go" - a fight - but Duffy denied that in a statement on Thursday.

Lennon and McGregor, 31, were incensed by 24-year-old Morton substitute Oyenuga's tackle on Forster in added time.

Lennon described Oyenuga's challenge on Forster as "disgraceful"

"It's a disgraceful challenge right in front of my technical area," Lennon told BBC Scotland after the match.

"Then he gets up and Darren McGregor confronts him and he feigns a head butt. I have the Morton staff in my technical area having a go at me and then I have the Morton players, acting the big hard men, having a go at me.

"So, I think I have been harshly done by, I think my players have been harshly done by in that incident as well."

In his post-match interview, Duffy said: "There was obviously a bit of a fracas. Neil wasn't happy with Kudus's challenge. The referee was going to send him off anyway.

"Obviously there was a few people involved, myself included. I think it would be wrong for that to deflect from our team's performance.

Hibs intend to challenge McGregor's red card

"Maybe it was handbags with a few things inside the handbags. It's one of these things that happens sometimes. I'm sure Neil will say the same. It's emotion, it's passion.

"To be perfectly honest I never really get involved in things like that. But sometimes you've got to stand your ground for your team and that's what I've done but the referee saw fit to remove me and that's his decision to make.

"I have been involved in the game a long, long time and that's the first time I've ever been sent to the stand. I'm disappointed about that. He [the referee] said he sent me to the stand for irresponsible behaviour."

Lennon said he would wait to see referee Nick Walsh's report before deciding his next step, but insists the club will challenge the red card shown to McGregor.

"I will look at it and if I have to defend myself I will," he said. "I'm definitely appealing [against the McGregor dismissal]. That's a disgrace. An absolute disgrace."

The result kept Hibs 10 points clear at the top of the Scottish Championship while Morton moved a point above Falkirk into second.

"We're actually good friends away from the game, I've got a healthy respect for him," Lennon said of Duffy. "He's done a brilliant job but I'm not having that.

"We're in a really strong position [in the league]. I wanted to win tonight, my team wanted to win tonight. It's okay, we kept a clean sheet, we got another point."