Carla Ward was left frustrated by some slack defending against the Netherlands, but she was ultimately proud of her side's performance in another defeat.
The Girls in Green looked like they might be heading for a draw in Utrecht against the team ranked 16 places ahead of them in the world rankings in 11th.
But a late goal from Lineth Beerensteyn - her second of the contest - in the last 10 minutes left the Irish side with that familiar sinking feeling following on from the loss to France in Tallaght in midweek.
All told, it means no points after two games, and Ward couldn't hide her frustration with the nature of the goals when speaking with RTÉ Sport after the game.
"It's tough to take, it's sickening really," she began.
"Over the course of the last four or five days we've played two of the best in the world and both (games) we've come away disappointed not to take something.
"The players have been excellent, they really have; they've left everything out there. They've executed the game plan brilliantly.
"We pride ourselves on defending pieces and it's just two moments over the course of the two games that have hurt us and it's a difficult one to take tonight.
"It's a moment, isn't it," she added of the winning goal.
"This is what teams like this can do to you. The fact we limited them to very little tells you something and you saw all the dark arts from them.
"Anyone would think it was the other way around so that second-half performance, the girls can take a lot of credit because they were absolutely brilliant tonight."
The Girls in Green were far from overawed by their hosts in front of nearly 15,000 spectators at the Stadion Galgenwaard.
The equaliser came from a Katie McCabe penalty but the visitors threatened throughout, particularly from set pieces.
"The first couple of corners we've nearly got something," Ward added.
"To come out and react the way we did in the second second half, Katie gets us back in in the game and at that point I'm thinking about how do we go and win the game because I think we could win the game.
"Then obviously the corner happens and then all of a sudden you're chucking bodies on to try and get something but look how far this team is coming and developing and showing that they can compete.
"It's huge and we've got to keep building."
With a play-off place already guaranteed owing to Ireland's previous promotion to League A of the Nations League, this segment of the qualifying campaign might well be decided by the back-to-back games against Poland in April.
The Poles managed an encouraging 2-2 draw with the Dutch in midweek before being taken apart in a 4-1 defeat to France last night.
For Ward, it's a case of trying to take something from the narrow defeats against such strong opposition into next month's games.
"I'm gutted for the players (and) I'm very proud of them tonight," she said.
"They've done the nation proud again. We're playing against, this week, two of the best teams in world football and little old Ireland are competing, let me tell you."
