Connacht head coach Pete Wilkins believes their lack of a clinical edge proved decisive, as the province fell to a 16-12 defeat to the Stormers in Galway.
The defeat all but ends their hopes of making it to the BKT United Rugby Championship play-offs, while they will also more than likely have to contend with Challenge Cup rugby in Europe next season.
Connacht had been 12-10 ahead with just under 15 minutes to play, only for the Stormers to out-muscle them in the final quarter, earning two penalties which Manie Libbok converted, to run out four-point winners.
But the Connacht boss was more concerned with the chances his team left behind.
"It was a very even game, I thought both teams were unbelievably physical, unbelievably urgent, as you have to be against these South African teams," Wilkins told RTÉ Sport.
"The access points for either team to build scores were few and far between, it was a great battle.
"Certainly, those couple of areas in that last quarter that allowed them two shots at goal were really significant in terms of the scoreboard.
"The bit I was more frustrated about was before that time, the opportunities, or potential opportunities we had in the attacking third of the field ourselves. We had two first-phase plays, one in the first half and one in the second half where we dropped the ball at the line, an immediate turnover.
"We had a lineout five metres out from the tryline where there was a bit of confusion, we ended up conceding a free-kick from it, and one or two other things on top of that.
"There's three or four or five chances for us to fire some shots, and against these really good, physical South African teams, you're not going to get lots and lots of access points to try and get some possession, and try get some points. For us to cough up, certainly those three I've mentioned so obviously, is frustrating, even before you get to the last quarter of the game."
While not mathematically ruled out of the play-offs, the province would have to beat Leinster with a bonus-point in their final game of the season, while also hoping for several results to go their way if they're to sneak into the top eight.
"That's the situation we find ourselves in. It was so important that we target that win tonight, so that we could keep our destiny on our own hands going to Leinster in two weeks," he added.
"We're still in the reckoning, but we are relying on other results as well. All we can do is worry about what we can control, which is reviewing this game thoroughly, having a really good two week lead-in to the Leinster game a week on Friday, and really go after it, really attack it, and make sure we get the win that we need in the way that we need it. Then we'll look at what's happening around us.
The Connacht coach was also frustrated that they couldn't give their departing players a winning send-off from the Dexcom Stadium, with 11 players presented to the crowd after their final home game of the season.
Among those was Tiernan O'Halloran (above), who played his last game at the Sportsground before he retires at the end of his season.
This evening's game was the full-back's 238th for his home province, and he was given a standing ovation when he was replaced by Santiago Cordero in the second half, while the majority of the crowd stayed on after the game where he was presented with a framed jersey.
"For him to have got that reception from the crowd, not just when he came off the field around the 60 minute mark when he was substituted, but also the end when he was presented with his jersey, it sums up how important he's been to the club, what he's achieved with the club, but also how our supporters, how our community relate to guys that are from the province.
"He's been here man and boy, as a Clifden boy, and everyone is so proud of him.
"Working with him, seeing that resilience he's had to overcome, he's had to battle injuries, that resilience of trying to battle his way into the Irish squad, and everything in between. He's won a trophy and had some difficult seasons.
"For any pro to last at the top of the game for that long, you need that level of resilience, and that level of self-belief," Wilkins said.
