It was never going to be easy, was it? Stumbling blocks, obstacles and off-days are par for the course.
Poor refereeing displays? Yep, those too. All part of the ride.
What matters now is how Nottingham Forest respond. How they handle a defeat which they could feel more than a little aggrieved about.
Read more: Forest sweating on double injury concern after Luton Town loss
Read more: How the Reds rated against Luton
The long-term goal doesn't change. There will be no diverting from the overall plan or approach to the remaining games; Steve Cooper made that very clear when he spoke after the final whistle. But it is important the Reds do not let any disappointment or frustration linger.
Losing to Luton Town is just that. One defeat. It's not the end of the road, or even reason for any kind of inquest - other than for the officials who lost control of what turned into a bad-tempered Good Friday affair.
It's the end of an incredible winning run and a remarkable unbeaten streak in the Championship. It's a test. A challenge. But it is certainly no cause for concern. They've dealt with set-backs before.
This kind of result was always going to come eventually. The key factor will be what happens next.
Out of character
Forest had been in stunning form prior to the clash with the Hatters. Not only had they been turning over teams, they had been playing really well.
Keeping that going over a long period is tough. Few teams manage that.
The visitors were not their usual impressive selves at Kenilworth Road. They struggled to show the kind of fluidity and clinical edge which had seen them record five Championship victories in a row.
In the first half, they were flat. Luton's press made it difficult for them and they couldn't find a way to play through it. Passes went astray and the ball wouldn't stick. The defence also looked nervy.
They improved after the break and they did create chances; certainly enough to come away with something. Be it through missed opportunities, the woodwork or controversial decisions, however, they just couldn't make it count. That's unlike them.
The Reds are far, far better than what they showed on this occasion. Get back to previous standards and this will just be a one-off.
Injury woes
Both Scott McKenna and Keinan Davis were forced off with hamstring issues during the game. The latter was substituted not long after the hour mark, while his teammate departed towards the end, leaving the Reds down to 10 men as all their changes had already been made.
The hope is that, in both instances, it is nothing too serious. Even if there is even the slightest doubt it seems unlikely Cooper would want to take any risks against West Bromwich Albion on Monday, however. The two of them have been immense, so to lose them at this stage would be a blow.
If they are sidelined, though, the manager's 'next man up' mantra will come into play. And that has served Forest well so far.
Tobias Figueiredo had a few wobbles in the first few minutes on Friday, but otherwise has been excellent after being called upon while Steve Cook - who was in attendance in the away end - is out. If needed, the Reds can switch to a four-man defence, as they did when McKenna went off at Luton.
Criticism of Lewis Grabban on social media amid the defeat seemed harsh. He will be crucial in the last six fixtures. More so if Davis is ruled out.
Both Grabban and Sam Surridge are capable of stepping in if that does happen. And if the Aston Villa loanee is fit, surely it's not a case of simply deciding he and Grabban cannot play together based on this game alone, as some seemed to do. After all, they had made it work before Grabban's injury.
Those officials
Forest (and the rest of the division) have seen some stinking refereeing performances this season. The bar had already been set ridiculously low, only for James Linington and his assistants to make a late claim for worst of the campaign.
They were pretty bad for both teams. But two key decisions went against Forest, and they could probably have cause for complaint over both.
Jack Colback was close to James Bree when he went to block a cross, with the Luton man also clearly handling the ball. The penalty was a debatable call, and proved to be all that separated the sides in the end, as Kal Naismith fired home.
Likewise, the decision to rule out Djed Spence's second-half strike for offside was questionable. Cooper certainly took issue with it afterwards, arguing a Luton player had touched the ball on its way to Spence. It looked a tight call regardless.
The hosts, meanwhile, may have disputed the sending off of Sonny Bradley for a second bookable offence. It was one of those games, with too many yellow cards dished out to keep track of.
It's no excuse for the result on the Reds' part. But it didn't help matters.
The overall picture
The last time Cooper's side lost in the league, to Cardiff City back at the end of January, they responded by going 10 Championship games without defeat. Something similar would do nicely.
There's no need to panic. The only problem will be if Forest look edgy when the Baggies visit the City Ground on Monday. They shouldn't. They are still in a good position, with a top-six finish in their own hands.
Grabban gave pretty short shrift when asked whether there had been any sense of getting carried away, based on previous results. He made it clear the squad's feet have always been firmly on the ground, with clear focus game by game.
That shouldn't change. Cooper ensures the players are never too high after a victory, and equally he'll be determined to make sure they are not low after defeat.
Other teams in there have had set-backs, too. The division is as unpredictable as ever.
From the Reds' perspective, now is the time for cool heads and to get back to doing what they do well. Keep calm and carry on. They've already shown they can do just that.
