"But for poor refereeing and their keeper's performance, we'd have won the game," says Town boss Millington after Fylde defeat

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Town boss Chris Millington felt his side would have beaten Fylde but for keeper Ben Winterbottom's performance and a poor display from referee Steven Copeland.

The Shaymen suffered their first league defeat since the end of November against strugglers Fylde, who held on after Nick Haughton's penalty restored their lead.

Jamie Cooke's penaly had cancelled out Tyler Roberts' opener.

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"It's been heavily influenced by two people; their keeper's kept them in it and the referee has given them a leg up," Millington told the Courier.

Chris MillingtonChris Millington
Chris Millington

"I though theirs wasn't," the Town boss said when asked about both penalty decisions.

"The pitch view suggested not and then the coaches we've got in the stand are saying the same.

"The opposite with ours, clear handball that he's not given.

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"The fourth official tells me the lad's arm is in a natural position when it's above his head.

"It's just blatantly not true.

"There was one in the first-half as well."

Copeland didn't enamour himself to the home crowd or the Town team by failing to crack down on Fylde's time-wasting tactics either.

"The initail calculations are the ball was in play less than 50 per cent, so those who paid to come and watch have been sorely shortchanged," Millington said

"It's a sad indictment on the National League.

"The ball was in play exactly 50 per cent of the time on Saturday and it's even less tonight.

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"It's just embarrassing for the league and it's very frustrating for us."

Millington admitted his team didn't play to the standards they've set in recent weeks.

"We weren't at our best tonight, I was disappointed with how we started and going 1-0 down was fair," he said.

"I thought we were sloppy at times.

"But as the game wore on, and from half-an-hour onwards, we were the better team and created more opportunities.

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"We've had 15 corners, we've created numerous goalmouth scrambles, had Zak through one-on-one.

"But for poor refereeing and their keeper's performance, we'd have won the game."

Millington added: "We gave everything to try and get the three points and when you're undone by poor refereeing and a man-of-the-match performance from the opposition keeper, it smarts a little.

"I wouldn't say it affects our season's ambitions greatly, it just means we've dropped three points."

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On the decision to substitute Luca Thomas in the second-half, Millington said: "It was down to the fact the poor lad's running his legs off on the pudding of a pitch we've got.

"Angelo, at the end, he's fresh and even he's cramping up to the point where he can't move.

"It was the same for Luca, his legs weren't doing what his brain was telling them to do when the ball came to him for five minutes before he came off.

"He's a young lad not used to playing on that type of surface, so it's going to drain him and that's why we made the changes we did, because we can't expect lads to run out game after game on that pitch and perform to a level, it just ain't going to happen."

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