Brian Easton insists Hamilton Accies are disappointed they didn't WIN their clash with Cove Rangers after coming back from 4-1 down to grab a last minute equaliser.
The skipper admits his side had a shocking first 52 minutes at New Douglas Park, but felt they had Cove on the ropes so much at the end that they could have walked away with more than just a point for their heroic last half hour.
Cove were two goals to the good after Mark Reynolds' 10th minute header and a Mitch Megginson penalty in the 42nd minute.
Accies pulled one back through Andy Winter just before half-time but conceded twice in quick succession at the start of the second half when Megginson netted his second goal from the spot and then Gerry McDonagh slotted in their fourth in the 52nd minute.
Andy Ryan quickly responded to pull a goal back and Steve Lawson's penalty after 63 minutes had given Accies hope of completing a remarkable recovery.
And in the 89th minute, an indirect free-kick was awarded to Accies when Cove goalkeeper Kyle Gourlay held onto the box for too long inside his box - with Ryan striking to earn an unlikely draw in an eight-goal epic.
And Easton felt if the game had another few minutes, they would have found a winner.
He said: "I think we were very poor in the first half and we were really fortunate to still be in the game at half-time.
"In the second half we lost a goal and then another, and you are thinking can we steady it so we don't lose anymore.
"But once we scored our second goal, you could see the belief: we can get another one.
"And if the game had gone on any longer, I think we were the team that was going to go on and win it.
"We should be really pleased after a comeback like that but I think most of the boys are just really disappointed because we didn't show up for large parts of the game.
"Chucky [Ryan] stepped up and got the goal [for 4-4] and if there was a bit longer we probably could have got the winner.
"We've got a point from 4-1 down so there are a lot of positives to take, but a lot to work on as well."
Fans voiced their fury during the game and booed the team off the park at the break.
Gaffer John Rankin was also subjected to abuse from some sections of the support, with others shouting that he had "lost the dressing room."
Easton added: "You get used to that. Fans love their team with a passion so they are always reactive.
"I would have expected it to have been worse at half-time if we hadn't got that goal back just before, because we weren't at the races at all, first half.
"Getting the goal back should have given us a lift but we didn't lift until we were 4-1 down.
"When we got it to 4-2, that's when the spirit came in and we need to show that from the very start of the game.
"It does show character.
"I've been in these situations before and you do feel like the game is gone.
"But I never felt that way today.
"It was a tremendous fightback from the boys, but we do feel a bit disappointed."
The big talking point was Gourlay being penalised for time-wasting and Easton admitted he had been in referee Chris Graham's ear.
He added: "I was shouting at the ref, trying to make him hurry the players along.
"I think the ref said he was holding onto it for 16-17 seconds so he was obviously keeping count.
"There's times when there's a wee bit of gamesmanship and you can slow the game down - everybody does it - but you can go too far and obviously the ref felt that.
"And if it was 16 seconds, the ref was well within his rights to do that."
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