FC Halifax Town: "We've got to defend better than that," says Wild after Shaymen progress in FA Trophy

The Shaymen will now visit former boss Billy Heath's Alfreton in January in the fourth round after winning 5-3 on penalties following a 3-3 draw at Horsfall Stadium.

"I thought we started well, exactly how I wanted us to start, on the front-foot, dominating the ball, trying to get in-behind them, trying to get down the sides of them, so really happy with how we started," Wild said.

"Then one long ball, which is a shocking goal to give away, it's not good enough the defending for that first goal, and that infuriates me, and it makes it a contest.

"We get back in it with a really good goal, a goal we normally score, but we don't capitalise by taking our chances. How many times this year have we said we haven't taken our chances and put teams to the sword?

"Then right on half-time, throw comes in, nobody wants to go and tackle people and they score again.

"That was two rubbish goals we gave away.

"Second-half we were dominant again, 85-90 per cent possession, and we played some really good passing stuff.

"We know teams every week now will just sit in against us and wait to try and pick us off, we know that and we have to try and be brave enough to pick them off.

"Their third goal, ball in our box, we don't defend it well and you think 'well, that's disaster', but luckily Tom's pulled us out of it in the last minute and we've been able to slot the penalties away.

"I thought both teams took an excellent set of pens."

When asked if he was more frustrated with falling behind three times or more pleased at fighting back three times, Wild said: "I'm more frustrated, the goals we've given away are not good enough.

"If we defend like that next week we'll get tortured, so we've got to defend better than that. I know that, we know that.

"We've got seven days now to work on that."

Wild agreed his side's defending was out-of-character.

"We've just come off the back of two clean sheets," he said.

"Without seeing them back, I don't want to pass comment but I'll watch them back and make sure that does not happen next Tuesday."

The Town boss admitted he thought Town were out after Park Avenue's third goal in the 90th minute.

"100 per cent, but again it shows the character of the group that they never know when they're beaten, they keep going," Wild said.

"That's one thing this group has got is character in abundance, so fair play to them."

But overall, Wild thought his side deserved to go through.

"We did. I thought tactically they hit us on the break and then sat in, 4-5-1, so tactically I think they deserve credit for how they've set up against us," Wild said.

"But we've got to be better than that, we are better than that. Conceding three poor goals this evening's probably put the biggest dampener on the evening for me."