In terms of points and position in the Championship table, Burton Albion were no better off after Saturday's 3-2 loss at Aston Villa than they had been four days earlier following arguably their worst display of the season against Reading.
Leaving Villa Park, the Brewers still found themselves at the foot of the division.
But the positivity coming from management, players and supporters on Saturday evening could hardly have been more different to the feelings that resulted in more than a few boos at the Pirelli Stadium earlier in the week.
Time will tell, of course, if they can build on this platform.
Far too often this season have Albion failed to capitalise on valuable momentum, and that is why they are currently looking up at their relegation rivals rather than down on them.
Clough's view will be that they have given themselves that platform, though, having hit "rock bottom" against Reading.
Burton arrived at Villa Park looking to stop Steve Bruce's men from securing a six-game winning streak for the first time since 1990.
That challenge did not appear to faze an Albion team boasting four changes and a couple of notable absentees.
Darren Bent had not recovered from a knock suffered on his Brewers debut, while Martin Samuelsen was ill.
Luke Murphy and Jake Buxton dropped to the bench, meaning starts for Hope Akpan, Marvin Sordell, Lloyd Dyer and 19-year-old Manchester City loanee Jacob Davenport.
A first senior league outing, in front of 33,000 people, is a big ask for any young player - even one who comes highly-rated by Pep Guardiola.
But Davenport would go on to produce a stunningly assured debut performance.
Not only did he look at ease in his role as Albion's holding midfielder in a 4-5-1 formation - he made the players around him more comfortable in possession too.
The City under-23s star was a constant outlet for his teammates and looked to get on the ball, spreading possession and helping Burton make the most of their width.
Tom Naylor and Akpan were Davenport's two central midfield partners and pushed play forwards, while wingers Dyer and Sordell saw plenty of the play too, Dyer in particular able to link up nicely with lone forward Lucas Akins.
Akins flicked on for Dyer to race into the box for the game's first chance as Burton began on the front foot.
Villa keeper Sam Johnstone saved well at his near post, as he would do again later in the first half when Akins was lobbed through by Naylor.
The Burton striker was also unable to capitalise when a tidy move down the right saw Sordell cut John Brayford into the box and cross.
Liam Boyce will have been mentally slamming the ball into the net from the touchline, perhaps not anticipating that his chance would come later in the game.
Plenty would happen before that, though, as the Villans flexed their promotion-chasing muscles.
Albion's back four of Brayford, Kyle McFadzean, Ben Turner and Tom Flanagan had looked well organised for the opening half-hour, McFadzean especially impressing.
They were opened up in the 33rd minute, though.
Burton had not been helped by the departure of Flanagan shortly beforehand, the left-back suffering a calf injury that forced him onto crutches by the end of the afternoon.
That necessitated an early change. Murphy was introduced from the bench and replaced Naylor in midfield, with Naylor shifting to right-back and Brayford taking Flanagan's position on the left of defence.
It was down Naylor's side that the opener came, although he would have done well to intercept a razor-sharp pass from Robert Snodgrass that ran into the path of the onrushing Albert Adomah.
The Villa winger squared across Bywater for Hogan, who had the simplest of tap-ins.
Clough spoke in the week about wanting his side to show an improved backbone when falling behind.
Games have gotten away from them this season once sides have pushed in front, but they did not let Villa take any more of a stranglehold before the break.
Bywater made sure of that with a couple of solid saves from long-range efforts.
And like in the first half, the Brewers got onto the front foot well at the start of the second.
The game opened up more, allowing Dyer to attack Ahmed Elmohamady down the left and providing the room for Akpan, Davenport and Jamie Allen to burst through the middle.
Allen was introduced at half-time for Murphy, who managed only 17 minutes, having been caught late by Conor Hourihane in midfield and suffering a shin injury that required 12 stitches.
Frustratingly for the visitors, Burton's liveliness in attack was going unrewarded, and they failed to test Johnstone enough.
On one occasion, Dyer, Akpan and Sordell all had the chance to get a shot away in the box, with each choosing to pass possession on.
With 65 minutes on the clock, Bruce's side looked to have wrapped up the points when Adomah nodded home Snodgrass' cross at the back post.
Back came the Brewers, though, in bizarre fashion.
Akins saw his close-range shot parried out by Johnstone from a Dyer corner. It dropped for Elmohamady to clear, only for the Villa full-back to slam the ball into the roof of his own net.
It was followed by a bittersweet moment for the visitors, which saw Turner become Albion's third player substituted due to injury, a tight calf ending his afternoon.
His replacement? Burton Albion's record signing Liam Boyce, to make his competitive Brewers debut a mere 189 days after rupturing his ACL in the pre-season game at Shrewsbury Town.
His impact was noticeable, his touch close and meaningful, bringing runners into play and helping link the Brewers' attacking moves.
That appeared to have been in vain, though, when Albion's tiring defence was stretched in the 88th minute, allowing Grealish to smash home a volley from 12 yards to make it 3-1.
Again, Burton rallied.
And only 20 minutes into his first Burton appearance, Boyce showed the travelling supporters what he could yet bring to the Brewers' survival push.
Brayford picked him out with a curling pass, and the striker coolly slotted past Johnstone with a first-time finish.
Cue a frantic final three minutes, a last-gasp Dyer cross clutched gratefully by the Villa keeper to ensure Villa stayed within a point of the top two.
Burton, meanwhile, were left to reflect on a fourth successive defeat.
Another three goals against them - that is 15 from their last four matches - will hurt and is an issue that needs addressing.
The trio of injuries sustained by regular starters Flanagan, Murphy and Turner will also be a concern.
Aston Villa 3 - 2 Burton Albion
But for the first time since the win at Sheffield Wednesday, there was a positive feeling about the Brewers after the final whistle.
Davenport's debut, Boyce's goal and the general manner of Burton's football - as good as they have looked in possession all season - should give them a lift heading to Ipswich Town next Saturday.
