Hamilton Accies boss John Rankin denied it was a wasted opportunity as they were held to a 0-0 draw against 10-man Arbroath, but said it was frustrating and disappointing.
Ricky Little was shown a straight red card for a foul on Jean-Pierre Tiehi 19 minute into the game, and though Connor Smith and Reghan Tumilty both forced good saves from Derek Gaston, Accies couldn't find a way through, when a win would have put them above eighth-paced Cove Rangers.
Rankin says it leaves his side on an 'upward journey' and the dressing room was silent, because the players weren't happy with their own performances.
He said: "Overall it was disappointing.
"Arbroath are fighting for their lives - as are we - and you could see the organisation, the determination not to give away chances or shots at goal.
"My players are better than what we showed in the second half tonight.
"The over-riding emotion right now is frustration. Frustration and I'm speaking with passion because it's raw emotion, but when you look at where we were and where we are now, we're in a much better place.
"The dressing room is silent, you could hear a pin drop in there, which I'm pleased about.
"There's a sense of disappointment among the players and they know they can do better.
"If that's the standards they've set, then they have to now match that.
"Before, we'd have gone in with a result like that and probably been happy at 0-0, whereas now after the run we've been on, players are not happy.
"It leaves us on an upward journey, still fighting, and still on an upward way.
"We've come off the back of taking 14 points from 21 at stake, so when you look at it from that way I need to be positive.
"Since the turn of the year they've given me absolutely everything and I've got to be positive with that."
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