"If we show a bit more composure in a couple of moments, we win the game," says Millington after home draw with Altrincham

The visitors held on after Matty Kosylo's sending-off for a point, despite Town dominating the second-half.

"I'm pleased with the reaction at half-time because I thought we were a bit sloppy and a bit complacent potentially first-half," Millington said.

"As a staff, having watched the game at Moss Lane back, we felt we were in control and I think maybe some of that transferred into a bit of complacency early in the first-half.

"But then once the lads got going, and certainly after half-time, I thought we were very bright and much more like ourselves.

"So, pleased with the reaction and pleased with lots of aspects of the second-half.

"We can criticise the first-half because I thought there were too many of us just not at the races, but once we got going I thought we were decent, I thought we were good value.

"It's always a problem when a team defends in such a low block, breaking them down, especially when the pitch is so sticky that you can't move the ball with any speed or tempo.

"So we're left with the only option of working it round them and delivering crosses into the box, which clearly isn't our strength, we want to be working the ball into the box under better control.

"When the pitch is as heavy as it is, there's just no way you can do that, but all in all, we look at the last four games, against really difficult opposition, and we feel like we've given a good account of ourselves and given ourselves a really solid foundation to start the New Year in."

When asked whether Altrincham's red card helped or hindered his side, Millington said: "It's a tough one to answer because, of course, we'd always want to play against a team who've got a man less, it'd be foolish not to prefer that situation.

"But it throws up a different set of problems.

"What we've got to remember is their keeper's probably the man of the match, he's made three or four really good saves, we've missed two pretty good opportunities, fairly clear-cut opportunities.

"Then we're in that familiar position where Angelo Cappello's been fouled in the box, the penalty's not given, then he's fouled, Angelo tells me, in the box and we get a free-kick outside the box, so there's two mistakes by the referee that have cost us.

"So there's a lot of small things that could have made a big difference.

"I don't want to make referees an excuse because I thought the ref largely had a good day but in those moments where we need him to get it right, he's fallen short and it ends up costing us.

"So of course (the red card) has meant we've spent the majority of the half in their half, it's meant their keeper's had to make a few really impressive saves to earn them a point, and I'm pleased for him because I know there was a lot of criticism of him after Boxing Day, but he's been the difference today and made sure they came away with something."

Town have now twice failed to beat ten-man Altrincham this season, as well as several other sides who have had a man sent-off against them.

"We want to (to do better when opponents have ten-men) but it's not going to be the difference in how our season pans out, whether we spend a load of time and energy analysing and working on being better against ten men," Millington said.

"If we were shooting the other way, when you've got that half of the pitch which is firmer, more flat, less sticky, then we might have had more opportunity to unpick them with some quicker-tempo play.

"The downside is playing into a low block towards the South Stand where it's very sticky and difficult to get the ball moving.

"It is what it is, we're not going to over-analyse the fact we were up against ten men, we've had the clearer-cut chances, the higher number of chances, the lads have put in a right shift on a very difficult surface and we didn't quite do enough to earn the three points.

"If their keeper doesn't have the day he's had, which was fantastic, then we win the game.

"If we show a bit more composure in a couple of moments, we win the game.

"If the referee has a better game and gives the two penalties that should have been given, we win the game.

"So you'd argue maybe we did do enough to win it but their keeper and the referee have maybe stopped us from doing that.

"So there's no frustration on my part."

Milli Alli was an absentee due to a knee problem, and when asked if Town had missed the forward, Millington said: "Milli's in a good run of form and a good run of starts, so much the same as we missed Ryan Galvin in moments and we missed Max Wright in moments.

"Players who are playing regularly and building up the minutes are always going to have the edge over those who are coming in after a spell on the bench or the physio room, that's football."

On his decision to start with Jamie Cooke and Andrew Oluwabori up-front rather than Rob Harker and Aaron Cosgrave, who were on the bench, Millington said: "Energy, organisation, work, consistency in terms of team selection.

"Already three enforced changes so we don't want to be ripping it up and changing half the team in one go.

"We've got a style of play that was really effective against Altrincham at their place and saw us control all facets of the game, and we looked to set-up and do the same today."