PAT SCULLION has said that his tenure at Inverkeithing Hillfield Swifts has finished "not in the way I wanted" after he submitted his resignation.

The 36-year-old, who took over from Grant Brough in the summer, quit the club on Monday and has cited "things that have happened in the background that have been outwith my control" for his decision.

Former Pars and Cowdenbeath star Scullion joined the club initially as a player and began assisting on the coaching team under previous manager Grant Brough.

When Brough stepped down at the end of last season, taking on a new role at the club as head of senior football, Scullion was named as his replacement, and spoke about how the opportunity for both parties "aligned at the same time".

In his first role as a manager, Scullion, who turned out for the Blue Brazil in three separate spells, as well as Elgin City, Alloa Athletic, Clyde, Stenhousemuir, Berwick Rangers and Edinburgh City, led the East of Scotland League, Premier Division side to five wins from their opening six matches in all competitions.

The last of those, against Haddington Athletic on August 20, however, sparked a run of just one win in 13 – against Kilsyth Athletic, in the second round of the South Challenge Cup – and Saturday's 6-3 home defeat to Bo'ness Athletic in the third round of the competition proved to be Scullion's last game in charge.

Since the Haddington match, the Swifts have picked up three league draws and are just one point above third-bottom Tynecastle but Scullion said that results were not the only reason for his resignation.

"Results determined that the working environment became quite tricky over the last number of weeks," he told Press Sport.

"I enjoyed my time as a player, coach and manager. I can't thank the lads enough for their dedication and application. It's always going to be a tough role with the resources the Swifts have but I can't fault the players for everything they gave me.

"I think it's ended not in the way I wanted it to end but, sometimes, circumstances dictate.

"I'd like to thank the players, past and present, for all their hard work. I really enjoyed being part of the squad. It was a really good dressing room to be part of; it was good going back and playing with Greig (Spence), who's been a team-mate of mine, going back to 2008, really."

Scullion, also offered his thanks to Eddie Spence, who formed the club in 1996, for his support, as well as his coaching team of Mark Leslie, Graham Miller and Jamie Steven, and his former boss at Berwick, John Coughlin, who was enlisted in a supporting role.

He said that he aimed to play in a different way, which would take time, and said: "Results lately have been a little bit tough but, with the lack of resource we have to attract players, it's always going to be a difficult task. I knew that in the summer when I took the job on.

"It hasn't worked out the way I would have liked but, unfortunately, there have been elements of things that have happened in the background that have been outwith my control.

"Unfortunately, I just felt my role at the club was untenable going forward."

Press Sport approached the club, who are not in action this weekend, for further comment, after they released a statement on Monday confirming their manager's departure.

It read: "Today the club accepted manager Pat Scullion's resignation. We'd like to thank Pat for his time as a player, coach and manager over the past few years and wish him all the best for the future."