Amber Barrett believes the Republic of Ireland have matured into a side capable of rattling the best in the world, but the Strasbourg striker could not hide her frustration after they failed to land a knockout blow on the Netherlands last night.
Katie McCabe's penalty five minutes into the second half cancelled out Lineth Beerensteyn's 20th-minute opener, and it felt like the Girls in Green would hold out for a draw against the talented but streaky hosts.
Alas, Beerensteyn struck again eight minutes from the end, squeezing a finish past Courtney Brosnan from a corner. The goal stung; the nature of it stung even more given that it came from a setpiece, where Ireland are traditionally strong.
Barrett said: "When we do set-pieces and when we do the preparation, they usually take the last 10 games to kind of see if there's rhythm or if there's repetition of the exercises, movements and stuff.
"I think our coverage of all the movements and everything was excellent. It's one of those that it's in a very difficult area. When there's a lot of bodies, like we see it in the Premier League every week, the more bodies around the goalkeeper, the more likely they are to score.
"It's very disappointing, again. After France, we came away saying the same thing, probably three points (lost) that we could have at least got a point out of. We were looking for a response. I think we did get it in many ways. But again, we've gone in with a really big performance and come away with nothing. That's the hardest thing to take."
Barrett made a good impact when she came on for Lucy Quinn with 66 mnutes gone. Having moved to French top-flight side Racing Club Strasbourg from Standard Liege, the Donegal 30-year-old looked sharp and fit, tangible benefits of playing in a stronger league.
"I have nothing but love and adoration for Standard Liege, what they did for me," she said.
"They literally took me when nobody else wanted me, gave me two and a half great seasons, regular playing minutes. The confidence came back. And then suddenly, there's a lot of teams opening the door for you.
"In France the league is better. It's a massive step up for me. I'm probably still adjusting to the technical side of it. The French girls are very, very technical; very quick at speed of play. I think that's something I have to adapt to.
"But again, if you want to be playing regularly for Ireland, if you want to be pushing players, you need to put yourself in the best position. If we're pushing to qualify for a World Cup, I think it was the best move that I needed to make. And so far, I've been delighted with it."
Next up for the Girls in Green is an April double-header with Poland. Those games are crucial in the race to finish third, which is significant because it offers a better seeding for the autumn's play-offs. Ireland are guaranteed a play-off spot even if they finish bottom of the group as reward for their promotion to League A of the Nations League.
They've emerged from their frst two games with no points, but enough positives in the bank to believe things are moving in the right direction.
"I suppose the side's matured," added Barrett. "If you look at the last time that we were in League A, since then there's been a lot of departures with the girls that have retired, massive figures in the team.
"In many ways, you're still trying to replace the characters that we had. But a lot of people are growing into the team. Carla's had a year now to really stamp her authority on the team and everybody's starting to really grasp what kind of situation we're in.
"Also, a lot of the girls are playing at good clubs. The level of maybe where people are playing has also increased.
"We're still on the wrong end of results. Until we manage to really turn the tide, it's still going to be a work in progress. We are creating chances, but that's where you have to have the killer instinct there. It's nothing against the girls. They're doing the right thing. It's just having that little bit of luck going your way."
