"Without really playing to our full potential we did enough," says Millington after Maidstone win

Mani Dieseruvwe, Milli Alli and Rob Harker scored as Halifax sealed their fourth win in five games.

"As the first-half wore on we got marginally better without being fantastic," Millington said.

"And then as the second-half wore on, we started to look more like our recent selves, without really playing to our full potential we did enough to warrant the victory.

"I think the scoreline's probably fair."

When asked why The Shaymen took a while to get going in the game, Millington said: "We were acutely aware the lads had a fantastic atmosphere and experience against Altrincham, then they've had a wonderful experience against Wrexham and then a really enjoyable away experience at York City.

"You've got a team like Maidstone, having a really tough season, the pitch was very heavy, the circumstances around the game are slightly different from the previous three so we were aware it was going to be a bit more challenging, finding the motivation.

"I don't for one minute suggest the lads haven't put the effort in, they have, but it'd be foolish to not acknowledge it's a difficult game to come into on the back of the recent atmospheres they've played in.

"That played a part, the pitch certainly played a part, it was difficult to play on and it took us a good period of time to play our way into the game, but once we did I didn't feel we were under any significant threat.

"I don't think there was any lack of effort in the first-half but we huffed and puffed but didn't really knit anything together in terms of our possession, we were loose in our first touch, the passing was too loose and we failed to have any significant passages of play where we dominated possession and territory.

"But as the game wore on we grew into it and started to look more like ourselves.

"And it's probably not surprising the subs had an impact, they were bright and energetic, and moved us up through the gears to get the win."

Dieseruvwe netted his fourth in three games to get Town up and running.

"I thought he took a little while to settle in but once he did I thought he was the shining light from the first-half," Millington said.

"He was difficult for the opposition to play against, he got his goal, which he took well and he led the line very well.

"Then he continued that into the second-half, so a worthy man-of-the-match.

"And the influence of the subs coming on, Matty Warburton, Rob Harker getting his goal and Jordan Keane was a good addition and enabled us to get forward from a deeper position as the half wore on."

Halifax have now won four league games in a row and have scored 11 goals in the process.

"We've known it all along about our performances just needing goals, and that being the big problem," Millington said.

"Now the lads are sticking the ball in the back of the net, it just highlights that even more and it highlights what a positive season we could have had if we'd done that from the word go.

"We didn't, but now we are and we've got to keep that humility of all the other bits of the game that need to be done - competing for everything, the dogged work out of possession, throwing your body on the line when the opposition have a spell and an opportunity.

"If we continue to do that, now we're taking our chances, there's no reason why we can't finish the season strong."

On his substitutions in the game, the Town boss said: "Gilmour because of the yellow card, Tylor's played an awful lot of minutes this season and I thought it was an opportunity to give him a breather.

"Similarly with Capello, he's in his first full season in first-team football and he's doing fantastically well, but we've got to be mindful these are young lads and not only will their bodies get tired but also their minds so we need to keep them as fresh as possible."

Millington confirmed Fidel O'Rourke missed the game with a calf injury.

It was announced before the game that winger Jordan Slew had left the club after falling down the pecking order this season.

"He's a victim of the change in shape," Millington said.

"The intention at the beginning of the season was to have the primary formation as 4-3-3.

"But injuries and illness and lack of form meant we had to change and become more solid and slightly more defensive-minded than we wanted to be.

"And that meant that Slew, as an out-and-out wide player, was going to get less and less minutes.

"It's unfortunate, especially after the season he contributed to last season, that his second season has worked out the way it has.

"But he's a lad I've enjoyed working with and I certainly look forward to seeing his progression in the next few seasons."