"This is a situation we can't allow to continue" - Millington says lessons have to be learned after defeat to Leeds on penalties

Town twice fought back from a goal down to draw 2-2 but then lost 5-3 on penalties at The Shay to make it three defeats out of three in the competition.

"The record books will show we lost the tie and I never want to be considered in that light but a lot of important things happened in the game, some very, very valuable minutes for lads who needed them and on top of that, some really, really important lessons that we'd rather learn in this way than in league games," Millington said.

"Things we can highlight for certain players that we'd rather highlught in this game than in a league situation."

The Town boss admitted both Leeds goals were "crap" from Halifax's point of view.

"Adam Adetoro's just made a really unneccessary mistake but he's a really young centre-half who is very early in his senior career and he is going to make mistakes," said Millington.

"He isn't going to make many like that, but he is going to make mistakes and that's something we have to put up with at this club because that's the market we're in.

"And I'm glad we're in that market because I know the technical level and the physical level of our group is very high, but what they've got to learn is how to manage themselves within games and how to maintain good standards throughout because that's the crucial part of being a senior footballer."

Millington added: "The last few goals we've conceded have largely come through individual errors.

"There were two here - obviously Adam's made a really obvious one - and for the second goal we've conceded really soft possession in the middle of the park.

"Very, very similar to the Southend goal we conceded where a player in the middle of the park has taken too many touches, had it nicked off them and all of a sudden we're being countered on.

"So that's a lesson we have to learn because we had a similar situation at Forest Green, where a player steps into midfield, loses possession, we get countered on and we concede.

"So this is a situation we can't allow to continue.

"There's an argument that if Sam Johnson was playing, he maybe saves the second goal. I think it was a pretty timid effort and maybe could have been dealt with a bit better, didn't need to be parried back into the path of the oncoming Leeds player.

"So we also have to look at it in a realistic way.

"I never want to concede but the positive thing to take out of the goals we're conceding is they are individual errors, it's not something structural with the team, it's not that we're not good enough, it's that players we've got are young and have to learn on the job.

"The crucial element is that they learn because if they repeat those mistakes too often, it would suggest they're not going to be able to cut it at the level.

"That's the important bit. The other side of it is when we've stepped onto Leeds, in the first-half with Zak up top, we wanted to set traps because he's maybe not the same type as a Jamie Cooke who'll go high pressing, but we wanted to set traps so we could regain and counter-attack.

"The traps worked, we regained but the counter-attacks weren't of high enough quality.

"Then in the second-half we show what we can do when you've got somebody with Jamie Cooke's energy, similar to Billy Waters, who can go and high press and I thought for the first half-hour of the second-half, we dominated Leeds.

"But the important part then is finishing the game off, which we failed to do.

"So some really valuable lessons to take away, really valuable minutes for a lot of players who haven't played much football, and also haven't played together a great deal, so an opportunity to start to build a bit of chemistry among some if the players.

"All in all, a really useful run out."

On striker Emmerson's half-time substitution, Millington said: "We're trying to build him up, he's still a lad who's got to develop the physicality and the physical fitness to be able to go through a 46 game National League season.

"That doesn't just happen overnight when you're a big strapping lad like him, it takes a bit of time to develop that type of fitness, so he's a work in progress but we needed to get Cookie some minutes as well to make sure he maintains his sharpness."

Attacking midfielder Lui Bradbury made his debut in the game, coming on in the second-half.

"He's been playing abroad, he knows Andy Cooper and he needed somewhere to train so he came in to train with us and he fits into the group really well," Millington said.

"It's a good opportunity to get him some minutes and in doing so, takes a bit of pressure off some of the lads who are more likely to be involved in this busy period coming up.

"He's a number ten, busy, technically probably more effective on tighter pitches, in tighter spaces, very good at receiving in between the lines and in tight areas.

"But it was really important for him to get a run out and we're very grateful for his efforts."

On whether there were any other signings in the offing, the Town boss said: "Not at the moment. There's conversations going on but I would think it would prpbably be a week before there's anything significant happening."