Fans leaving the home stands after Sunday's game had to reconcile disappointment at the result with pleasure in the performance.
It was not an easy balancing act. The lack of cutting edge in claret and amber was punished by the efficient maroon finishers.
The fine football fostered by Stevie Hammell was pleasing to the eye but it counted for nought. "We created more chances than we have all season" bemoaned the manager in his post-match remarks but he admitted that he would have swapped the silky football for a favourable 1-0.
The loss drops us deep into the bottom half of the table and with a tough run of fixtures to come after the international break. There will be some worry that we have fired blanks in the last couple of games and no doubt that will provide a focus for the next few training sessions.
Ricki Lamie, Rolando Aarons and Joe Efford all sustained injuries that caused the manager some concern. Lamie took a hit to his knee while the others appear to have hamstring pulls. Aarons lasted only fifteen minutes after he replaced Efford before he disappeared down the tunnel.
On a brighter note we seem to have filled the left back position with an excellent 24 year old. Matt Penney joined on loan a week before the window closed and in his three appearances to date he has impressed. The agreement with Ipswich ends in January but Hammell must be hoping for an extension.
October has seven Premiership fixtures on the card including the much criticised midweek haul to Dingwall but first comes a testing trip to Parkhead on 1 October.
Good Football Not Enough For Motherwell As Hearts Score Three