Millington convinced results will follow if Town maintain their levels of work-rate and commitment

Town boss Chris Millington says he is convinced results will follow if his team maintain their work-rate and attitude from Saturday's defeat at Notts County.
Chris Millington. Photo: Marcus BranstonChris Millington. Photo: Marcus Branston
Chris Millington. Photo: Marcus Branston

Halifax go into tomorrow night's FA Trophy fourth round tie at Harrow Borough having lost four of their last five games and not won since beating Guiseley in the previous round on December 20.

When asked if he feels under pressure, with some Town fans chanting "we want Milly out" at the end of Saturday's game, Millington said: "What I'm desperate to do is deliver performances and a team that the fans can be proud of.

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"I think we're starting to get there, you see the commitment of the lads on Saturday.

"The likes of Jesse Debrah, so committed, Jack Senior, phenomenal young man, local lad who the fans should be really proud of, Jamie Stott took a really courageous and brave decision to offer himself up a week early from a fractured cheekbone, knowing he's going to face risk in going to win aerial duels.

"You've got Tylor Golden in his first proper season in first-team football who's just getting better and better, Adam Senior's come in and acquitted himself really well, then you've got the midfield four, a relatively young and inexperienced couple of players in there who are doing fantastically well for us in terms of their drive and hard work.

"So the pressure I feel is to deliver better performances that the fans can go away pleased with.

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"I know that'll transfer into results, I know the results will follow, and especially if we maintain the real good work the lads have done on Saturday.

"Yeah we've got to score more goals and create more chances, but with that level of hard work and endeavour, that will happen.

"We'll keep clean sheets and we'll certainly be creating more opportunities.

"That's the pressure I feel and that's what I'm desperate to deliver for the fans so they can see a team that reflects what they represent."

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Town's rearranged FA Trophy tie comes amid a hectic fixture schedule, and either side of league games at Notts County and Oldham, with Halifax slipping further away from the play-off places.

But Millington won't be making wholesale changes for the tie.

"Not really no, because I want to build on Saturday," he said when questioned on team selection before the signing of Harrogate winger Max Wright on loan was announced.

"It is possible, I'm not going to rule it out, but I've been vocal enough in bemoaning our ability to name the same starting 11 in consecutive games this season, so as long as everybody's come through Saturday fit and healthy then it may be sensible to let the lads build on what they've done and keep improving those partnerships.

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"We'll have to do our proper review process and planning process ahead of Harrow but I think it'll be a similar starting 11."

Yamen Osawe was due to be assessed due to a hamstring strain, but Kian Spence is not expected to be involved

Angelo Capello is in contention for the game but Matty Warburton is still a couple of weeks away from returning to action.

On Luke Summerfield, Millington said: "He isn't training yet but it was a real joy to see him at the training ground on Friday.

"He looks well and he was in great spirits.

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"He has a plan in place with the physio but it's going to be a bit of trial and error building him up and making sure he's right and we don't expose him to too much, too soon."

When asked whether Senior, who has arguably been Town's player of the season so far and has become a firm fans' favourite, should be made the new captain in the continued absence of current skipper Tom Clarke, Millington said: "Jordan Keane's the vice-captain, Tom Clarke's the captain and Sam Johnson's the club captain.

"But what we're seeing from Jack week in, week out now are captain's performances.

"He's become a fantastic leader in the group and his performances just drag another five or ten per cent out of everyone around him.

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"It just fills me with joy to see the development of him as a lad and a footballer.

"He's been with us three seasons now and the transformation in that time is phenomenal, not only that he's improved as a footballer but he's such a fantastic human being and I think you can see that in the way he plays the game."

You can follow all the updates from tomorrow night’s game on our live blog on the Courier website, where there will also be an on-the-whistle match report and post-match reaction from the Town boss.

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