"If you switch off you get punished" - Millington rues defensive lapses as Shaymen lose against Barnet

Quickfire first-half goals, both from restarts, saw Barnet go into a two goal lead within 15 minues, which Halifax never recovered from.

"It's going to be one of those interviews that's contradictory because I think we were the better team but Barnet deserved the three points because Barnet did what we couldn't, which is put the ball in the back of the net," Millington told the Courier.

"We started too slow on the set-pieces and we switched off.

"We knew our jobs. The first one, the long throw, we knew they look for the flick on and have two, maybe three, men attacking the back stick.

"People had jobs and their lad ran off our lad and it gets put in the back of the net, from a player switching off.

"Similarly, on the corner, we've got a set-up, we've got a plan, we've got people with specific jobs and someboy hasn't done their job.

"Those are two real lapses that aren't characteristic of this group but that have cost us today."

After the two goals, Millington felt his side had the better of the play.

"We had the better of the chances, we had more balls into the box, we had more touches in the opposition box but we could probably be still playing at midnight tonight and still not score a goal," he said.

"It's all well and good having all the ball and having those chances but we didn't really look like we were going to put them away today.

"Barnet have done enough with the two goals and after that, they've not really had to do a great deal to win the game."

When asked what Town needed to have done better to have found the back of the net, Millington said: "I thought we were immature, I think at times there was a lack of energy up top.

"We've created chances, we've forced mistakes but not taken them.

"When you need somebody to create a spark and offer us that little bit of magic, there was no-one there to do that."

The result leaves Town's play-off hopes still very much up in the air ahead of a busy final week of the season.

"It doesn't mean a huge amount - had we won today we'd have still been looking to beat Ebbsfleet on Tuesday," said Millington.

"We want to win every game we play, I don't want to give up any points between now and the end of the season.

"So our objective remains the same, we've got to beat Ebbsfleet but we've got to be better.

"There was an immaturity about the group today in switching off for two soft goals.

"This is the business end of the season, if you switch off you get punished and if you switch off too many times, then you end up not finishing where you're meant to in the division.

"So I've got to look at team selection and pick a team I believe can stay on task and then take those one or two opportunities we're going to get at this stage of the season."

Millington added: "That felt like a play-off game, that could be a play-off game, where not a lot happens and one or two moments seal the game.

"We've got to learn very, very quickly that we can't afford to do that. Against a play-off team, that's going to be the difference.

"When we played Kidderminster last week, a team who have had a difficult season, we're the team who take those couple of moments and come away with a victory.

"But today, we've played a team who are better than Kidderminster and they're the ones who've taken the two opportunities and as a result of that, deserved the win."

The Town boss praised the support given to Halifax by their hosts Accrington Stanley.

"They've been brilliant," he said. "I was wondering on the sidline whether some of the occasion had got into some of the players' heads and whether that was why we'd started a bit lackadaisical.

"But Accrington have been brilliant, they've been so supportive, the pitch is fantastic, we had a great following and the stadium made for a really good atmosphere from our fans.

"It was a brilliant turnout, unbelievable, and we had a number of fans come up to us at the end, which was so encouraging and so positive.

"It really does encourages you and makes it feel even more important to make sure we get the points we need on Tuesday.

"All the supporters were just fantastic today."

Defender Ryan Galvin was taken to hospital for an x-ray on a foot injury sustained in the first-half.

"It was a 50-50 ball and he's just come out on the wrong end of it.

"Fingers crossed it isn't too serious," Millington said.