Alliance had high hopes coming into this election.
It held one seat and had ambitions to take two others - both from the DUP.
Party insiders conceded that it might emerge with three seats, but equally it could come out with none.
The one seat it held, North Down, was far from a sure thing.
Party leader Naomi Long was locked in a titanic struggle with DUP leader Gavin Robinson in the East Belfast constituency- a repeat billing that has often proven fractious.
It was the one contest in which there was the most interest, because of the involvement of two such high profile politicians.
The fact that Naomi Long has failed to take the seat and the scalp of the DUP leader is a major disappointment.
But to win the Lagan Valley seat formerly held by Jeffrey Donaldson is quite an achievement, even in the controversial circumstance in which the former incumbent came to vacate it.
It's celebration of that success has been blunted by its failure to defend the North Down seat of deputy party leader Stephen Farry, who was well beaten by his independent unionist rival Alex Easton.
Alliance has seen a surge in vote share and seat numbers at all levels from councils to the assembly.
It would have hoped to have made gains in this election.
The fact that it returns with only a single MP, the same tally as it head in the last Westminster parliament, is a setback to its ambition for continued electoral growth.
