Cardiff City's defeat by Fulham was a game of small margins and big moments.
James Collins, rusty and brought in from the cold owing at the last minute to sickness in the Bluebirds camp, had the hosts' best chance of the game, a one-on-one with Marek Rodak, which he utterly butchered.
By contrast, Fulham have arguably the best striker the Championship has ever seen, a man who has broken the goalscoring record in this division with 13 games still left to play, and when the chance was presented to him he stuck it in the back of the net.
That, ultimately, was the difference, because Cardiff made the Cottagers look pretty ordinary. Those not in attendance might see the possession stats and think that was not the case, but, generally, Cardiff posed far more threats than Fulham and it is testament to just how far they have come in such a short space of time.
It was a brave and valiant performance by a side whose build-up was utterly decimated by an illness bug which left as many as six players stricken in the hours leading up to the match.
In the reverse fixture, by contrast, Cardiff blown away in west London. A 2-0 loss in the middle of that dire eight-game losing streak under Mick McCarthy. Granted, things could hardly get any worse, but the contrast between then and now, just four months on, is night and day.
Cardiff have gone toe to toe with table-topping Fulham and the form team in the league in Huddersfield Town in the last two days and can count themselves extremely unlucky not to have gotten anything out of either game. It's not overstating things to say they could conceivably have won both.
Since Steve Morison took charge, Cardiff has lost by more than a one-goal margin only once, against Bournemouth on December 30. By contrast, five of the previous six defeats before Morison took the reins were lost by more than one goal.
They are proving far more difficult to beat, the defence, by and large, has markedly improved and they have been far better in front of goal, generally speaking. The building blocks are certainly there.
READ MORE: All the latest Cardiff City news, views, features and opinion here
If we are to push that on further, the Fulham game should be one that Cardiff are hugely disappointed not to win next season. While this season now is about measuring strides made, next term will be about going one further, beating the best teams and challenging for those top-six spots again.
Make no mistake, this is all gearing towards a huge summer rebuild. With loan players returning to their clubs, as many as 15 players could be out the door in just a few months' time.
While that is a potentially frightening prospect for a club with a rookie coaching staff at this level, the results and performances over the last few months have given optimism for what the future could potentially be, if Morison and Co are given the keys this summer.
It's clear, though, that Cardiff's base level has risen markedly in a few months and if the recruitment in the summer is as successful as the famously more frantic January window, it could be an exciting time for the club and its fans.
There will be a new-look team next season and Cardiff need additions all over the pitch. Let's not pretend it will be an easy task.
If every out-of-contract player leaves, which is not a completely unthinkable prospect at present, the Bluebirds will need a new goalkeeper, three centre-backs, three wing-backs, three central midfielders, potentially a couple of wingers and two new strikers.
The recruitment will have to be spot on, of course, given the sheer volume of bodies heading out the door and the little money City will undoubtedly have to play with, but the football generally and the transfers have been a big improvement to what we have seen of late.
Plus there will be the likes of Perry Ng, Mark McGuinness and Ryan Wintle already in situ, along with burgeoning talents such as Joel Bagan, Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies, all of whom will be all the better for another season of Championship football under their belts.
It's now about getting the summer recruitment right and further closing the gap on the likes of Fulham and Huddersfield, which, as we've seen in recent days, is not a million miles away.
Fulham are a team which have blown away countless teams this season and City valiantly stood up to the task, failing to seize their big chances while Mitrovic buried his.
But it does offer real hope that the chasm between Cardiff and the top teams in the league is getting smaller and leaps are being made in a positive direction.
A summer of opportunity awaits and it should represent genuine excitement and provide optimism, not only on the back of that recent winning run but because of the last two performances against top sides in this division.
There is a platform now from which Cardiff must springboard next season in order to avoid another underwhelming campaign. But there is growing confidence they just might be able to do it.
For the latest Cardiff City news and analysis delivered straight to your inbox, you can sign up for our newsletter here.
