Despite conceding a painful injury time equaliser to Southend United, City boss Phil Parkinson refused to be downbeat when reflecting on the Roots Hall encounter afterwards, choosing instead to focus on the players' overall efforts in the game rather than the impact of the late leveller.
Only a few days after their truly heroic efforts against Arsenal in the Capital One Cup, Parkinson's men found themselves two up with only ten minutes left against their fellow promotion-contenders before goals from Ryan Cresswell and Gavin Tomlin gave Southend a share of the spoils.
Coming a minute into added time and with the finish line almost in sight, Tomlin's goal was particularly hard to take for many within the City camp.
With Southend coming into this Saturday's match bang in form - ten games unbeaten in all competitions - and the Arsenal tie undoubtedly having an effect on the freshness of Parkinson's troops though, the City chief was delighted with the general performance of his players.
Parkinson said: "I couldn't have asked for anything more from the players - I thought they were magnificent."
"Coming here, it was always going to be a tough ask.
"I think people would have expected us to come here and get turned over after our efforts on Tuesday night.
"I thought they were tremendous though.
"Of course, we are disappointed not to win. Two nil up, we should have seen the game out. But credit to Southend, they have threw caution to the wind and had a real go at us.
"Ultimately, of course, they have gone on and got the goals to get them back in the game.
"I felt their first was a foul on the 'keeper (Matt Duke) though. I don't know how the official hasn't seen it because we all saw it from the touchline.
"The second goal is one we should have dealt with.
"But I'm loathed to be crucial of anyone within the team because that was a big, big ask for the lads today and they've come through it."