"I'm incredibly proud of them," says Town boss Millington after Shaymen's play-off defeat at Solihull

Town fell 3-0 down but almost fought back to 3-3 before Jamey Osborne sealed Solihull's 4-2 win and a visit to Barnet on Saturday, ending Halifax's season.

"I think they played the better football," Town boss Millington said of the hosts, "I think they looked very bright, very sharp.

"But football isn't just about who's brightest and sharpest, sometimes it's heart and desire and that's what we've shown in abundance.

"But you saw the first 20 minutes, half-an-hour, not taking anything away from the intensity with which Soilihull started because they started really well, but we looked leggy, we looked tired and we really struggled to get going.

"We had short spells where we started to look bright but the reality is, when we needed to really push and really go after them, lads who are usually incredibly fit just didn't look like they had that extra spark in their legs.

"So at the moment that's all I can remember is the lack of sharpness we had in the legs."

When asked if he felt it was one game too many for his side, Millington said: "I want to be absolutely clear that we're not making any excuses, we're very proud of the run we've been on, very proud of the way we've approached the schedule, very proud of the performances we've put in.

"And I couldn't be more proud of the way the lads have approached it tonight, even at 3-0 down, phenomenal effort and application.

"But they looked tired. When we needed that spark from the players that usually give it us, they just couldn't quite muster it."

Rob Harker headed against the bar after goals from Jack Evans and Florent Hoti to almost cap what would have been an astonishing fight back.

"It would have been, and I believed it was going to happen, I was absolutely convinced at half-time, I thought we were going to win it in 90 minutes," Millington said.

"I hadn't prepared myself for any other outcome, I thought we were going to win the game.

"I thought we were going to come on strong second-half and that was when we were going to have that flood of energy and legs like we have in recent performances.

"But it just didn't pan out that way."

The game was the first time this season Town have conceded three goals in one half, and conceded four goals in a match.

"There's no explaining it really is there," Millington said. "Even the goals we conceded early on, you talk about the type of goals they were, they were avoidable to a degree."

When asked what he had said to his players after the game, Millington said: "Just that I'm incredibly proud of them. I didn't envisage it coming to an end tonight, I really didn't, so I didn't have any big speech prepared.

"But as a group of men, none of us are perfect, but they're a really admirable group of young men.

"They approached every bit of adversity, every hurdle that's been put in our way with positivity, kept on moving forward, kept on coming through challenges.

"Every single one of them have committed to doing their very best for the football club and I think Flo Hoti epitomises that.

"A lad whose shoulder has been dislocated any number of times in recent months yet he makes himself available again and again and again, knowing he's at risk of serious injury.

"But he's so committed to trying to help the team get where we want to get that he's put himself in that position and that really typifies the group as a whole.

"So that was my message to them, that they need to look at the other stuff, not just the scoreboard because there's so much they can class as success and there's so much they should be proud of and I think all of those things over the course of a season are what have really won the fans round, to the point where they are proud of the team that's out playing for Halifax Town."

Around 600 Halifax fans were at the game, and offered fantastic support to The Shaymen throughout.

"They were amazing, unbelievable and at the end the reception was fantastic," Millington said.

"I'm really pleased they felt that way and they wanted to show their appreciation in that way because that's what I believe these lads have earned, that kind of respect and appreciation.

"We don't have the money or the bells and whistles, in fact playing home games at places like Accrington Stanley and Chesterfield make you realise quite how far behind we are, even in just some the basics that football teams should have.

"But that doesn't deter the lads, they don't allow that to be an excuse, and as a result, the fans have seen them grow and become more and more committed and the fans have responded to that fantastically."

Read more from the Town boss on the Courier website tomorrow.