Mark Hughes offered a bittersweet assessment of his Stoke City side's performance in the 4-2 defeat to Chelsea on New Year's Eve.
Hughes watched on as his charges twice came from behind to draw level with the hosts at Stamford Bridge through Bruno Martins Indi and Peter Crouch - the pair cancelling earlier efforts from Gary Cahill and Willian.
However, a second goal for Willian and Diego Costa's late strike ensured the Blues picked up all three points from a pulsating encounter.
Speaking to the Stoke Sentinel after the game, Hughes hailed his side's courage in taking the game to the Premier League table toppers, but went on to lament a number of costly errors that saw them fall to a second away defeat in as many matches.
He said: "We got into a good position, and I don't think there's been too many teams come here in recent weeks and scored two goals.
"We have gone to Liverpool and come here and put in positive, front foot performances and affected the opposition, but unfortunately we have made catastrophic errors in both games that's taken the games away from us.
10 - Mark Hughes has never won at Stamford Bridge as a manager in the @premierleague, drawing two and losing eight in 10 visits. Underdog.
"At 2-2 we need to keep Chelsea at arm's length, but conceded almost immediately and then a throw bounces in the six-yard box which should be addressed. At the moment we are getting punished for every mistake we make."
Hughes has now called on his players to start ironing out the mistakes at the back as they plot a route back into the top of the league standings in the second half of the campaign.
He added: "Moving on into the New Year we need to defend better than we are at the moment. It's more to do with decision-making in key areas of the field.
"Sometimes you have just got to put your foot through it, get up the park and start again.
"But we came here with good intentions and I'm pleased with that, but we can't go up against good opposition and allow them opportunities as easily as we did today.
"We showed a real belief and character to get back into the game, but just needed to do the right things at key moments."
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