Millington praises Shaymen's resilience and determination after 2-0 win over Dagenham

Second-half goals from Mani Dierseruvwe and Jesse Debrah helped Halifax to a much-needed win over a lacklustre Daggers.

"I think we deserved it," said Millington.

"We've said it before where performances have been good that it was a multi-faceted performance, where there's been some good counter-attacking football in the first-half, which we should have scored from.

"We've had moments in possession where we've kept them in their half and we've defended our own box well.

"It's testament to the resilience and determination the group's beginning to build, it's still at the early stages, but when we look back to some of the games earlier in the season where we looked fragile, that's gone now.

"There's looks to be a steeliness about the group that's probably the most pleasing aspect of the day."

Millington said he was just as pleased with his side's defensive display as their attacking output.

"We've always been a team that defends together, so when we've not got the ball, we all become defenders," said the Town boss.

"So the work that Mani Dierseruvwe does on his own up top out of possession, and Rob Harker later in the game, is as important as what Jesse Debrah and Festus Arthur do when we haven't got the ball.

"It's a team effort and that showed today.

"That's a huge trait I want to be associated with, so it was really pleasing to see that.

"Likewise, you look at the ball Jamie Cooke's put in for Mani's goal and the desire Mani's shown to get on the end of it, that hunger and desire to put it away and put us 1-0, it's so satisfying as a manager to see players really putting their bodies on the line to do that."

It's now four unbeaten for Halifax, but Millington isn't getting too carried away by their upturn in form.

"I think I've learned very, very quickly the very harsh reality of management in that we'll never turn any corner, we've got to go and do it all over again on Tuesday night," he said.

"We can't for one minute think that we've all of a sudden cracked it.

"The lads have started to see and experience the ingredients it requires to go on a run so in that sense, something has changed and clicked.

"I'll maybe think we've turned a corner at the end of the season when we've finished where we want to finish, but at the moment, it's still hugely a work in progress.

"We've got to go on a run.

"We've given teams a massive head start with our inconsistent form early on, and poor results.

"It's important now we maintain a run of good performances but also a run of good results.

"It's important for the fans, some of the messages we've had this week have been phenomenal and there's an awful lot of good will out there.

"I know there's a section who maybe feel differently but for the most part we feel a real sense of good will towards what we're trying to do, and a sense of realism as to what it's going to take for us to get to where we want to go.

"We want to reward those fans and the best way to do that is with results.

"They don't want to see pretty football and rubbish results, they want to see results first and foremost and if we can do it with a style and a swagger, then all the better."

Dierseruvwe has now netted three in his last three games.

"He's clearly got goals in him because he's scored everywhere he's been," Millington said.

"What he's not always done is started games and played 70, 80, 90 minutes.

"This is the first season in a few seasons he's been doing that regularly.

"We knew it would take a bit of time but if decent quality balls are going in the box he's going to get on the end of them, and arguably he could have had another where he's had a shot blocked on the line.

"We know what a threat he is, we know what oppositions have to do to prepare for playing against Mani and opposition managers don't take him lightly, they always have to have a plan to defend against him."

On the injured Matty Warburton, Millington said: "He's back in training and we expect him to have a more involved week this week.

"But he certainly won't be available for Wrexham and unlikely to be involved for Oldham."

And on Osayamen Osawe, the Town boss said: "He's out running. He's not been involved with any of the sessions with the ball yet but he's getting closer to that.

"He'll come back at an important time because we've got a hectic schedule over the next few weeks so the more bodies we can get back, the better."

On vice-captain Jordan Keane, Millington said: "He's progressing well and like the excellent professional he is, he's doing everything required of him."

On speculation linking Town with former Stockport defender Mark Kitching, Millington said: "We've always admired him as a player, and he's of a level that we are working towards becoming, but we've not had any conversations about bringing him in."

One addition to the Town set-up for the game was new GPS equipment in the dugout, which was used in a game for the first time.

"That gives us live GPS data so we know exactly how far individuals have run, how many sprints they've done, how many metres they've sprinted, what speed they're moving at," said Millington.

"You'll have seen our sports scientist at times making sure he was getting the energy gels on, and he can identify when players might need that bit of help to get through certain periods of the game by interpreting that data.

"It just gives us the extra one per cent, and might just help some of the players like Kian Spence and Jamie Cooke get through the latter stages of games because they run so far.

"It's something Andy Cooper's been working hard to get sorted for the club and has managed to agree a deal with a company that's enabled us to get that technology.

"We're really grateful to have the benefit of that without having the cost."