Town boss Kieran McKenna was disappointed that his side scored only once in their 1-1 home draw with Millwall with the Blues having dominated the first half against another of the promotion challengers.

Jack Clarke’s 41st-minute goal was all third-placed Town had to show for a commanding first-half display with the Lions, who remain fourth behind the Blues on goal difference but having played a game more, equalising five minutes into the second period through Josh Coburn.

Millwall might even have won it with Mihailo Ivanovic slamming a late effort against the Town cross-bar.

“There are a couple of different ways to look at it because they had a chance at the end, so we could lose the game,” McKenna reflected. “But in reality, I thought we should win the game and we’re disappointed that we didn’t win the game.

“I thought the first half performance was excellent, so really, really pleased with that. Every aspect of it, apart from probably the last execution to be two or three-up at half-time because our level of dominance and general performance was good enough for that.

“A little bit disappointed we didn’t open up more of a margin, disappointed we didn’t go and kill the game off in the second half because they came out, put two up front, went man-to-man, locked on and we had so much space to break through.

“And when they do that, we know they’re a big threat, they’re always going to be capable of scoring a goal, they’re always going to be a threat putting balls into the box and on set plays.

“But we’re disappointed with ourselves that we didn’t go and execute better on our transition moments and in the moments that we broke the pressure to go and get the second and third goal and really put the game to bed.

“If you don’t do that, they executed really well on the goal and they put some pressure on at the end and the game can go another way.

“There were loads of different parts to the game. As always, we’ll take the positives and the first-half performance how we went about it is a big positive going into the last eight games, and we’ll look at the things we could have done better and we’ll try and use this break now to be ready for the run-in.”

McKenna was frustrated that his team allowed the Lions to score from one of their comparatively few chances.

“We’re disappointed with the goal and should be disappointed with the goal,” he added. “We don’t defend the cross well enough.

“But you can also look at it the other way. When they throw the kitchen sink at it like they did at half-time, put the two up, they’ve got good players, they carry a threat, they can always score at any moment and the best way of avoiding that is killing the game.

“At that point conceding a goal was really frustrating because I think we should have opened up a bigger margin by then and the end of the game was a ding-dong and it could have gone either way.

“Of course, we can do a little bit better in that phase but probably the biggest bit is when we were so dominant against a good team, it’s just executing a bit better to go and open up a bigger margin.”

Town won nine corners over the course of the afternoon and looked a threat on a number of them, despite the visitors’ height advantage, and McKenna admitted that was one aspect of the attacking display which frustrated him.

“I think in every way today we have to be disappointed today with one goal because we played through them in possession phases, crosses were difficult because they put so many bodies in front of the goal. Counter-attacks, we had so many transition moments, we were breaking into a big space on three-v-threes or two-v-twos or four-v-fours.

“And then set plays, we had more than enough and we need to be more effective than we are at the moment in terms of getting the first goal or getting important goals from set plays. These are things for us to look at and keep working on to improve.”

McKenna was pleased with Ben Johnson’s display at left-back for the suspended Leif Davis, the former West Ham man largely keeping January Blues target Femi Azeez quiet.

“A big positive,” the Town manager continued. “I thought he did great across the two games [today and at Sheffield Wednesday last week], really, but today was more of a test for his defending work and I thought he defended ever so well and some of his passing was really good as well.

“We’re delighted for him, it’s a big credit for him and it’s also a good one for the group to look at because we speak all the time about the importance of everyone needing to be ready and stepping up at different times.

“And the way the back end of the season’s going to look for us, it’s reinforcing the message that if you’re not playing at the moment, you’re not playing as many minutes as you want, it can change really, really quickly and the way he’s stepped up in the last couple of games, it’s a good sign for everyone else.”

On Friday, McKenna said Chilean international Marcelino Nunez was touch and go to be involved today having recovered from his hamstring issue.

“He just didn’t quite make it,” the Northern Irishman said. “Hopefully, he can get the right work over the international break and be available after.”

Town included 20-year-old left-back Somto Boniface on the bench for the first time in the Championship this season and McKenna says the former Chelsea youngster, who was named in the England U20s squad yesterday, and 23-year-old central defender Elkan Baggott weren’t far off being involved.

“Probably this week, he and Elkan were one very small injury [away],” McKenna said.

“Jacob [Greaves] very, very nearly didn’t make the game today and Elkan’s in the team and Somto’s not far away either.

“He trains with us all the time and he’s a good young player, and when I talk about everyone being ready to contribute, he’s certainly in that bracket.”

Regarding Greaves, he added: “He did well to get himself out there, the tackle that he took last week at Sheffield Wednesday, he’s barely kicked a ball all week, to be honest. He managed to get himself out there today and get through the game.”

Second-placed Middlesbrough were held to a 0-0 draw at Blackburn, meaning the Blues didn’t lose any ground on the Teessiders, who have now gone three games without a win.

But McKenna says seeing that result didn’t change how he viewed Town’s scoreline: “No, it honestly doesn’t feel any different.”

Reflecting on the position going into the final international break with the Blues having their final eight games to play in 27 days on their return, today’s match the last in a similarly busy eight-game spell, McKenna said: “Even at this stage, not thinking too much about the table, just seeing where we’re at as a group.

“There are some big positives to take, that’s eight games in a really busy run for us. We had a few days’ training this week and we’re coming off a period with some really important players missing that whole chunk, some unjust suspensions.

“And we had a few players out there today who were carrying injuries such that ideally we wouldn’t be using them, but because we’re missing other players they’re putting themselves out there for the team.

“It’s been a challenging period and a big positive I take is the first-half performance today because when you think about going into big games at the end of the season and how you manage the tension and just go out there and deliver a performance.

“I think that was a great template of how to do that in the first half today and if we can execute better on the last bit, then we’ll give ourselves a great chance to win some important games.

“On the other hand, we know there are other good teams and Millwall are one of them and games can change really, really quick and no one’s going to make it easy for us and Millwall found a way to make it more difficult in that second half.

“It’s going to be a challenge, hopefully, it will be exciting. We know we’ve got big games, we’ve got big games at our stadium, tough away games, a big derby match, there’s lots to look forward to.

“I think we’re glad to have the break now, we have to get some important players back, get some work into those who haven’t had it through injury or not having as many minutes and, hopefully, we’ll be in a strong position when we come back.”

Photo: TWTD