Following FC Halifax Town’s 1-0 defeat away at Torquay United, manager Chris Millington spoke to Shaymen TV to give his thoughts on the game.
“It was a horrible game,” Millington said. “Horrible weather, horrible pitch, it was just a horrible day at the office.”
Town headed into the break level, having created a couple of chances but having had to defend plenty of set-pieces from Torquay.
βThey were the better team tonight. They made more first contacts, they landed on more seconds, and they made the most of the conditions much better than we did. Torquay deserved the victory today.β
With poor conditions both prior and during the game, Town failed to adapt and Millington doesnβt want to use it as an excuse.
βThey managed the conditions much better,β Millington said. βItβs a bitter pill to swallow given weβve prepared well, theyβve not done anything we didnβt expect them to do. The analysis isnβt the issue, the preparation isnβt the issue, the performance is the problem and tonight it was sub-par.β
Torquay netted the only goal of the game from the second phase of a corner kick with Asa Hall heading home from inside the box.
βItβs the second phase of a set-piece which is disappointing,β he said. βOften Torquay scores off second phases of throw-ins and set-pieces and we know itβs an area that they often profit from. We didnβt clear the first ball well enough and when the second ball happens, they are the first to it as they were in other areas of the pitch. So it wasnβt just that moment, there were too many moments where we were second best.β
Town made various changes following the goal, however despite some late pressure, failed to find the back of the net.
βIt was one of these games where there wasnβt a huge amount in it. They were the better team, but we felt, with the players we had on the pitch, with Yamen, Mani, Milli Alli, and Jamie Cooke and others at set pieces like Festus and Jesse, we had enough there to be able to carry a goal threat and maybe nick it 1-0. So we werenβt the ones looking to change it at 0-0 because we felt we might be the ones to go ahead and just nick it. It wasnβt going to be a game where anyone was really going to dominate possession because of the conditions. It wasnβt going to be a game where either team was going to stay in the opposition half for long periods. We felt, the longer the game went on the more likely we were to nick it 1-0.β
The Shaymen have struggled to pick up points on the road with Townβs last away win in the league coming against Solihull Moors back in November.
βWe were just saying that in the changing room,β Millington said. β Weβve been on the wrong end of too many 1-0s in what have been nothing games. Like today, weβve had it at Yeovil, at Eastleigh, they are games where you come away and just make sure you donβt lose and weβre coming away on the wrong end of a 1-0 defeat. You could argue the game against Altrincham on Boxing Day, wasnβt dissimilar. Itβs a game where we do a bit more and we come away with at least a point. Itβs something we need to fix.β
Up next for Town sees a break in league action as we travel to Harrow Borough for the fourth round of the FA Trophy.
βItβs a bit too fresh this result for me to think too far ahead,β he said. βIt gives us an opportunity to get some minutes into some of the lads, and itβs an opportunity for them to stake a claim for a starting shirt because we need more and weβve not got it out of the boys today. So, some of the others will have the opportunity to show they can offer it.β
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