Hull City manager Steve Bruce was disappointed that his side again failed to take their chances as they lost 1-0 at home to Leicester City.
Bruce had billed the game as bigger than Hull's FA Cup final appearance last season, when they lost in extra time to Arsenal, and was ultimately forced to swallow the same sinking feeling as he had at Wembley.
Now, instead of opening up a nine-point buffer on Leicester, Hull are just three clear of bottom-of-the-table Leicester and level with Burnley and Crystal Palace -- one place outside of the Premier League.
"If we'd have won this to go nine ahead of Leicester at the halfway stage, that takes a lot of clawing back,'' Bruce said. "In terms of magnitude it would have been a huge one. But it's gone against us, given them a lifeline and it's all to play for in the second part of the season.''
Reflecting on his side's unsuccessful late siege, Bruce was incredulous.
"We've been in the Premier League 18 months and I can't remember having so many chances in a game, not at this level,'' he said. "But you have to score. Whether we got unlucky or should be scoring I don't know.
"When you get beat fair and square, fine. When you don't deserve it, like this, of course it leaves a bad taste. All the good work we did by beating Sunderland has unravelled a bit unfortunately.''