Tyler Harvey's missed penalty just about summed up a "frustrating" afternoon for Bath City boss Jerry Gill.
His Romans, entering the contest top of National League South, were held to a goalless draw by a Tonbridge Angels side just promoted from the Isthmian League.
The best chance presented either side to break the deadlock was Harvey's spot kick, which the frontman, already successful twice from 12 yards this term, scooped over the top.
In bizarre circumstances City also avoided a red card following a case of mistaken identity and were denied what Gill felt was another definite penalty, on a day they always looked the more likely side to break through.
But overall, Gill admitted it all did not quite click for his charges.
"Frustrating is probably the word, but I've got to say we didn't do enough to win the football match anyway," he said.
"I thought we lacked quality, technically we were down on our really high standards, what we set technically on the football.
"Obviously we created chances, but even then when they fell it was a thrashed shot or a rushed shot that we didn't connect with properly. Or someone's run in front of someone and blocked it.
"I guess the penalty from Tyler sums the day up, because you can't miss missing. If you're going to miss you have to make the goalkeeper make a save.
"He's done terrific for us, but that just summed the day up really."
It was the fifth game in 15 days amid a hectic start to the new season ahead of a full week off from action.
But Gill refused to believe those quickfire early season outings were to blame.
"I won't buy into that," he said. "Our recovery strategies are good, they should be fit boys.
"I didn't see enough creation from us. I said to them at half-time we need people who are going to grab the game for us, someone needs to spark it, but there wasn't enough spark in it today at all.
"We started the game really bright and should have maybe scored after the first couple of minutes - Ross [Stearn] had a good chance, Tom Smith had a good chance second half as well.
"But it wasn't to be and the only positive in it is we've stayed unbeaten, we've got a clean sheet at home."
It was another case of a visiting team setting out defensive first at Twerton Park looking to stymie the Romans.
Gill continued: "Tonbridge came to get a point and they got a point, so credit to Steve [McKimm, manager] and his team, they did their homework on us.
"They sat in, but when teams sit in against us, I've said it so many times I sound like a broken record here at Twerton especially, we've got to find a way and someone has to be bright enough and clever enough to break a line with a run beyond, or I've spoken about creating three-v-twos in wide areas as well.
"But who's going to do that? It can't always be from us on the side.
"And we've been lucky at the end because our players haven't organised it well enough at our corner, they've counter-attacked and Ryan [Clarke] has had to pull off a save.
"I want a bit more leadership from them, a few more individuals trying to help out other people.
"I was saying to Jim [Rollo], if I didn't have a good game, I'd make sure my mate next to me did.
"I mentioned it the other day, they're quite a quiet group and we need to get more leadership, more people that are going to drive other people on in that group."
The game saw a return to action for captain Ryan Clarke, who took over between the sticks again from Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee James Pardington following an ankle injury.
City had won both games featuring Pardington in goal, but getting Clarke back in the line-up was a straightforward call for Gill.
"Jamie's done nothing wrong whatsoever on loan from Wolves, but he understands it, it's a good learning curve for him," the Romans boss said.
"He's come from 18s football straight to men's football and played ever so well in the couple of games. His handling's been clean and he's not really had a lot to do in all honesty in those games.
"It was a little bit of a no brainer, we all sat down as a staff, Ryan came through training on Thursday. He is our captain, he is our No1 goalkeeper, so it wasn't too tough a decision to make.
"But Jamie's had to learn that even sometimes when you're in a winning side you'll come out of the team like some of the outfield players will.
"It's great to have Ryan back. He's a leader, but he's also playing in goal, it's hard for him to communicate with players high up the pitch about movement and patterns, and who makes a run forward or who goes and creates a three-v-two."
Gill was unsure of the penalty award that Harvey missed immediately after the match, although post-game imagery showed Ryan Brunt was hauled down waiting for a Connor Riley-Lowe free-kick to arrive.
His side were denied a second penalty after Tom Smith raced from within his own half and fired a cross into a sliding defender.
Gill was in no doubt that should also have been a spot kick.
All this happened after the already booked Harvey Smith was given a red-card let off when he brought down Tom Derry as last man, only for Alex Hartridge to receive the yellow instead.
"I thought the penalty that was wasn't, and I thought that we should have had a stonewall penalty after that; a two-handed save in the box on a block from a cross," Gill said.
"Then we were fortunate enough, ironically, to stay with 11 men because I think the referee got it wrong.
"I'm always honest in my appraisals and Harvey Smith should have been sent off. I think the referee's got it wrong, from what I can see. It does happen really quickly.
"Obviously the referees are in a period where they're in the infancy stages of their season because they're trying to get sharp as well
"They're not going to get every decision right, but the big ones you want them to get right, Steve will and I will.
"Like I said, I don't know what it was in the box, someone's obviously gone over for Tyler's one that he's missed, but the one after that was a stonewall penalty.
"Unfortunately the linesman's probably ten or 15 yards away and he's the one that can give it if he wants to because he's got the same view as me and he hasn't given that."
The Romans will now have a midweek without a match, allowing Gill to get two training sessions into his squad.
He will be looking for more incision in his side when they return to action at Slough Town next Saturday.
"We'll train. We've got to train because there's so much to work on," Gill said.
"I said before this game, top of the league is irrelevant, pretty much. It's still trying to get consistency in your performance levels.
"That's told me today we're not quite there yet, we're not firing on all cylinders by any means.
"They work hard, but in the key moments. If you want to play in this team you've got to work hard to get on the ball as well.
"I felt as if with that low block we didn't work hard enough to get on the ball in midfield areas.
"And we don't always have to play through that midfield area. Today it was on to play down the sides, outside the centre-backs, we didn;t do that with any quality.
"I thought in midweek [against Hungerford Town] we played some lovely little balls down the side which gets defenders facing the wrong way and chasing back towards their goal.
"We didn't do that too much to day, it was pretty much all in front and then you're relying on a cross with real quality and someone getting across the front of someone
"I never saw any incision, I didn't see anyone drive with the ball, apart from Tom Smith at the very end, committing players and getting people on the back foot.
"I thought our wide players stayed as wide, players, I don't think we got enough rotation. I don't think our full-backs got out to make two-v-ones enough as well.
"You can guess from the way I'm talking, those are our patterns we normally do and we didn't get to it today for whatever reason.
"We'll reflect on it, there's no big disaster, we've drawn a game at home, but I'm trying to raise the bar from last season and the players want to as well.
"We'll have to reflect on it and make sure we don't have too many more bitty performances where we're so poor, and we were poor technically today."
Gill confirmed that injured duo Dan Ball and Frankie Artus are progressing well.
He said: "Bally and Frankie have both trained today, so Frankie will be closer than Bally, he's probably one ro two weeks behind.
"But what don't want to do is for them to come back into the group and then break down again.
"We need them around for the season, so I should imagine Frankie back in the next week or so and then Bally we'll see thereafter."
