Nigel Clough was "delighted" with the efforts of his Burton Albion players in Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough - especially with several key men out.
A side shorn of Jackson Irvine, Ben Turner (both suspended), Stephen Warnock, Liam Boyce and John Mousinho (all injured) held the recently-relegated hosts for long spells, only to be undone by two moments of quality from Britt Assombalonga - the Championship's second -most expensive player.
The Brewers stretched their hosts early in both halves, with Matt Palmer having the best of Burton's chances and seeing Cyrus Christie produce a superb block to deny him an equaliser moments after the break.
Their hopes were not helped by a second successive sending-off in midfield, Hope Akpan given his marching orders late in the game.
But still the Brewers pushed to deny their hosts any chances - and their efforts were lauded by the manager.
"I thought our lads were absolutely brilliant tonight," said Clough .
"I thought we started the game, the first 15 minutes well - and they score with their first chance.
"And then we started the second half, for 20 minutes or so, very well.
"We were so unlucky with the second goal - we get men out to block it and it just drops to the lad (Rudy Gestede).
"Not only that, but Stephen Bywater then makes a great save and it drops straight to Assombalonga again.
"So we were so unlucky in so many things tonight."
Boro's quality eventually shone through, Assombalonga typifying that with two fine strikes.
As Clough points out, though, Burton had plenty of quality away from the Riverside pitch.
"We've got relative quality," he said when asked about the class that won the game.
"But that's in Irvine, Turner, Boyce and Warnock.
"But they were all (out) tonight, and even John Mousinho, our captain, strained his hamstring yesterday.
"So to come here with those five players out and do as well as we did tonight, I can't tell you how pleased we are with the players."
