Any defeat will leave you feeling hurt.
But when you concede the only goal of the game in stoppage-time, it makes it doubly tough to deal with.
That was the fate that befell Pompey at New York Stadium, as Joe Mattock headed home in stoppage-time to secure victory for Rotherham.
And Christian Burgess was annoyed that a spirited defensive display was ultimately not enough for the Blues.
He said: “The boys made some really important blocks and really put their bodies on the line.
“I don’t think we deserved to win the game, but the work we put in deserved a clean sheet and so it’s terribly disappointing to concede in injury-time.
"It’s even more frustrating because it was a great turn-out from our fans and they deserved something."
“There was a bombardment from them in the second half and unfortunately we couldn’t quite hold out.
“Rotherham have some good players that posed a threat, but it’s hard to take because the effort we produced was outstanding.
“You can’t fault us for that and it’s even more frustrating because it was a great turn-out from our fans and they deserved something.
“It’s difficult to put your finger on what we could have done better on this occasion, although we’ll certainly watch it back on tape.”
Pompey will now look to secure their first victory of 2018 when they face Shrewsbury at Fratton Park next Saturday.
Burgess said: “We just have to make sure our heads stay up and that we keep going because now we’ve got a week to work on things before the next game.”