Tim Krul lamented Norwich City's missed opportunity at Preston – but still has high hopes for what the rest of the season has in store.
The Canaries found themselves 3-0 down to Alex Neil's North End at Deepdale, before Teemu Pukki's late consolation.
That was City's first Championship defeat on the road since August – but enough to knock them off top spot and have Sheffield United uncomfortably close to their coattails.
'It is hard because I think it's a missed opportunity and we shot ourselves in the foot, with the way we started the first half,' admitted goalkeeper Tim Krul, with City 2-0 down after just 24 minutes and Marco Stiepermann seeing his penalty saved by Declan Rudd nine minutes later.
'I think we've been a bit unlucky. I didn't think it was a penalty to be fair, and I thought the free-kick (that delivered the opening goal) was a bit soft as well.
'So the luck wasn't on our side and we've had some amazing opportunities to turn it around. A missed penalty and probably four or five 100pc chances in the second half.
'Listen, we have to take it on the chin. We've been unbeaten for a long run and we just need a reaction now.
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'We tried to warn everyone that these are the nights where you have to be there. Everybody will be motivated for the derby and Leeds away – but on a horrible night and a difficult pitch, a difficult place to come in Preston, you will need to switch it on as well.
'I'm really pleased with the reaction in the second half. We never gave up, we kept pushing and showed some great quality. So we just have to show it from the first minute at Bolton on Saturday.'
That reaction at the weekend will be key – but Krul is keen no one gets too downbeat on the current situation for Daniel Farke's squad.
'If you said this to me four months ago, that we will be one point off first and two points clear of third, whatever it is, I would have signed for that,' the Dutchman admitted.
'It's in our own hands and we know what we need to do. I think we showed in the second half that we are capable again. We've shown it the last few weeks and that's our first loss in 2019 in the league.
'So again, we are allowed to be disappointed – we should be because the first half wasn't good enough. But there were a lot of positives in the second half.'
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