Rotherham manager Neil Redfearn was left to reflect on what could have been after his side slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.
The Millers were sunk by Stewart Downing's first-half strike, courtesy of a misplaced pass by Grant Ward, and there was no way back, despite coming up against a Boro side who were below their best.
The defeat was their fourth in five games, leaves them five points adrift of safety and means that Redfearn becomes the first Rotherham manager since Tom Johnston in 1958 not to win any of his first five matches in charge.
Although better than Saturday's performance against Derby, the Millers were still found wanting as they tested Middlesbrough goalkeeper Dimi Konstantopoulos just once.
Yet, they could have find themselves leaving the Riverside with an unlikely point had Jordan Bowery done better after bearing down on goal following a defensive slip.
"They had a good side, they created chances and perhaps could have had another goal but we had our chances. Jordan Bowery is clean through - it's a chance," Redfearn said.
"It was a great chance, he's clean through, the lad slipped, he needs to keep his composure.
"It's a problem we have got scoring goals, one we have got to address. I am hoping to get a couple in before the weekend, we need to get on with it now, get it done.
"We had little pockets of possession in either half where the crowd were getting restless, we kept the ball well, we moved it about and we opened it up.
"It wasn't a bad away performance, if you look at the goal it was a mistake, Grant Ward gets caught on the ball.
"If you take the mistake out it's 0-0 and it's a good point. They make their mistake and we miss, so if we put their mistake in it's one apiece and it's a good result."
Redfearn was highly critical of his side after the 3-0 loss to Derby on Saturday, but he was pleased with the improvement he saw against another promotion-chasing side.
"There was a vast improvement, at times I thought we played
really well," he added.
"I am not down with the performance, I am down with the
result. But it's not the Middlesbroughs of this world where we need to pick up
our points, it's the other games.
"The top six are by far and away ahead of the
rest of the Championship. But it was a really diligent and toughed out
performance today and we stayed in it.
"The performance was good tonight,
they showed a toughness and stuck at it and I can work with that.
"If they give
me that every week and we can add the players to put the ball in the back of
the net then we have got a chance."
