There were no excuses or a blinkered assessment that Pompey were unlucky to lose.
Instead, Kenny Jackett admitted that League One leaders Hull thoroughly deserved to leave Fratton Park with all three points.
An unfortunate brace of own-goals from Jack Whatmough, as well as George Honeyman and Josh Magennis strikes, did the damage.
And Jackett admitted that his troops were simply not good enough on the day in key areas of the pitch.
The Blues boss said: “We didn’t have our usual energy in terms of pressing, getting on the ball and passing it around sharply.
“I thought that Hull edged the first half and lead through an OG, so we were looking to improve after the break.
“But two quick goals took the game away from us and as we worked hard to get back into the contest, it got further away rather than closer.
"It’s a frustration for us and, as much as it hurts us to say, that was Hull’s day and they deserved the win."
“We have to assess the performance accurately and while we huffed and puffed, they were in control.
“You want to get the ball to the key players, so they can beat people in 1v1 situations, but that wasn’t really there.
“They were better than us from set-pieces and got the key goals from those areas. It wasn’t a great start and we couldn’t get going.
“It’s a frustration for us and, as much as it hurts us to say, that was Hull’s day and they deserved the win.
“You have to be honest and see where we can do better to make sure that we can bounce back on Tuesday.”
Pompey unveiled two new signings either side of the game, with Charlie Daniels and George Byers both arriving.
Jackett said: “We’ve needed another left-back since Cam Pring was recalled and Charlie brings a lot of experience to the group, as well as quality.
“George is an attacking player and improves our midfield options, meaning we can go to three in there if needed.”