Motherwell left-back Paul McGinn reckons their defeat to St Mirren summed up their season so far, after limiting their opponents to few chances but ultimately paying the price for a sloppy defending.
The Steelmen went into the clash looking for their first Premiership victory since October but their winless streak extended to nine games when Curtis Main netted after 16 minutes.
The visitors appeared to have their opponents hemmed in to the corner of the pitch, but between Alex Grieve and Ryan Starin they managed to work the ball out and into space for Strain to cross, and Main tucked the ball home at the near post.
Motherwell huffed and puffed to try and find an equaliser, but Stuart McKinstry and Max Johnston were both denied and Saints held out for victory.
It leaves McGinn's side joint-bottom of the Premiership with Kilmarnock, Ross County and Dundee United, who are all on 20 points.
And McGinn sighed: "It was really frustrating. It wasn't a game for the purest.
"The pitch was a bit of a mess, the sun was glaring.
"We just needed to battle to try and win the game but I think it was pretty much our season in a nutshell.
"They had maybe one chance with a free-kick and apart from that one, they score and it's just the way it seems to be going for us.
"Whereas we are hitting bodies on the line and everything else so it's just frustrating.
"We've conceded very few chances to them. Their goal comes from in the corner where we should be squeezing as a team and the worst thing that happens is they concede a corner.
"They shouldn't be nicking a goal out of nothing.
"I don't think they can believe they've scored from there.
"But when you are down there like we are, that's the way it goes.
"We just need to keep doing the same things and hopefully reverse the tide.
"There are improvements needed but that should have been the same outcome as last week."
Motherwell could only manage two shots on target themselves and asked if his side lacked composure in the final third, McGinn said: "Composure can go when you are chasing a game so there is a bit of desperation.
"At 0-0, you can take your time, find your corner
"Whereas you are chasing it, the fans are urging you to do it and you maybe do it at a bit of pace.
"But in terms of our finishing, I don't think it was that bad.
"There were a couple of good saves from [Trevor] Carson. Max [Johnston] had a shot and it was well controlled.
"But the last thing you want to do when the pitch is like that, is go behind to St Mirren because you know the ball will only be on the ground maybe 10 per cent of the time.
"So that is the frustrating thing."
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