IT'S a significant measure of the progress that Antrim hurlers have made that a two-point defeat by Waterford is no longer regarded as a cause for celebration - quite the opposite.
Yet for all the understandable disappointment in the home camp after the 3-21 to 2-22 loss at Corrigan Park, there was much to admire in the showing from the Saffron-shirted side.
Even their gutted manager Darren Gleeson accepted that, pointing out: "We have to be realistic as well - Waterford are one of the top three teams in the country: Waterford will be thinking All-Irelands, we're in the Joe McDonagh, so… There's always positives there but it's hard to find them at the moment…
"We'll take the positives when we get to re-watch it. At the moment it's hard to. When a team goes down to 14 men, you're at home, we seemed to have a good rhythm at times playing - you need to make those count."
The Deise were down a man after half an hour when corner-forward Colin Dunford - who had already scored 2-1 - was sent off for striking.
Yet for all that Antrim came close to a draw in the end, with full-forward Neil McManus bringing his tally to 0-13 with a last-gasp penalty which was tipped over the bar, Gleeson is sick of hearing hard luck stories and near misses.
His frustration level was as sky-high as a Kepa penalty: "You'd know by looking at my face. It's very frustrating, very frustrating. They're a great bunch, they're trying so hard, anything we've put to them they're taking. It's just execution in these games."
The Saffrons enjoyed some success before the break, with the wind at their backs, from sending long balls into their forwards, but short balls played out in the second half cost them, notably for Waterford's ultimately crucial third goal.
Gleeson says his players need to become more tactically flexible: "You have to mix it up, you can't stay banging one way. Last time [against Dublin] we were too central, this week we went wide and probably got more benefit from it.
"There were some nice short balls too in the first half. We need to be able to mix it up a little bit better. The last 10 minutes were very good ball in hand."
Next up are familiar foes, in O'Moore Park, opponents who have also lost their first three matches in NHL Division 1B, and Gleeson knows that will be another battle:
"Laois will be below waiting for us, that will be a ding-dong game, let's see what happens.
"The League, we won't judge it until the last Sunday, 20th of March, that's when we'll know where we're at. If it comes to that, then you go in and play the bottom team from the other group, so there are lots of opportunities - but we need to be taking one soon."
Antrim will have to do so without Niall McKenna, who tore a meniscus in a knee, so he's out for six to eight weeks.
Gleeson was philosophical about the absence of the Sarsfield's star, saying: "Every squad gets injuries, we've other injuries going on: Shea Shannon, double nose-break in a college match, you get those and move on.
"Shea has an operation ahead of him. That's why you have 30, 33 lads in your squad. It's an opportunity for Niall to get himself in shape ahead of the Championship."
Before then, though, there's a huge clash down in Laois. Gleeson and Antrim will be determined to be talking about their victory, not another defeat.
