Jon Daly was left to rue two vital points lost in the pursuit of Shamrock Rovers as St Pat's conceded an injury time equaliser to Cork City at Richmond Park on Friday night.
With victory within their grasp, the Saints were poised to move to within two points of the Hoops, who experienced a frustrating night in Drogheda and came away with a scoreless draw.
It was Derry who turned out to be the winners on the night, their last minute winner at home to Sligo Rovers moving them level with the Saints - although the Inchicore club remain in second thanks to the narrowest of goal difference advantages.
READ MORE: Drogheda United 0-0 Shamrock Rovers: Drogs frustrate league leaders again
"Of course when you get to this stage of the season and we’re down to the last third, you are running out of points to gain," said Daly, still smarting after Ruairi Keating's 93rd minute goal cancelled out Jake Mulraney's first half cracker.
"So if we had held on, which we probably should have done, you have gained two points on the teams above you.
"Obviously Derry scored late as well which is good for them. But we will focus on ourselves and try to get points when we can. We’ll take it on the chin and move on.
"Yeah, it’s disappointing. We have worked really hard on when the ball goes back trying to squeeze the back line and us dictating the line. In that moment I don’t think we did, it went back and we allowed them to stay and pin us back, whereas I think if we squeeze the line we get them offside. We get a free kick and the game is potentially over.
"But we didn’t. I think it's potentially a foul, but we don't get it. They got a couple of ricochets then it dropped to the one man you don’t want it to drop to in the box Keating.
"To be fair to him he put it away well. I thought we managed them relatively well throughout the game, and didn't feel under pressure at all.
"I thought we could have been better in the final third in terms of our final pass but we have to try and see that game out 1-0 and move on."
Mulraney's stunning strike was his sixth of the season and Daly, who served as assistant boss under Tim Clancy before taking the reigns 12 games ago, has been impressed by the 27-year-old since he joined ahead of the current campaign.
"It was a fantastic goal," said the Saints boss. "He’s in good form, Jake. It's a great pass from Chris Forrester to find him in space as well.
"It was one of the first moments of the game where we stayed in their half for a couple of passes. Then Jake with a fantastic finish.
"I can’t really ask much more from him. He’s producing wonderful goals and magic moments. I think he’ll definitely be a contender for a couple of goals of the season with some of his finishes.
"He's obviously had that little spell out where he was suspended so he’s probably still getting himself back up to speed, I'm very pleased with Jake. He has stepped up again and delivered a great goal.
"There were stoppages and injuries that killed the momentum of the game. Jake steps up and produces a fantastic goal. It should be enough to see it out but on another night you win the game 1-0 and go away happy.
"We conceded in the last 90 seconds and it deflates you a little bit but we will pick the lads up again."
The Saints have to do that quickly as they are in action away in the UEFA Europa Conference League to F91 Dudelange in Luxembourg on Wednesday.
"I hope it gives the lads a bit of a reaction," admitted Daly.
"Come off the back of last week (the 7-0 win over UCD), it's fantastic and everyone feels great, brilliant result, and if you win 1-0 here you maybe feel good still.
"It's a good one to refocus us and make sure we go into Wednesday fully concentrated."
