IT IS not even two months old but already this season has a feel of what might have been for an improving Hull City outfit.
Thursday nights are free again with an early exit from the Europa League and now regrets are spreading in the Premier League.
Although six points have been chalked up on the board, a pleasing haul that plenty in the division envy five games in, another six have been allowed to slip through fingers.
Draws with Stoke City and West Ham accounted for four of those when leads were lost in the KC Stadium's opening games, but the two points squandered at St James' Park on Saturday were harder to stomach.
"It feels more like a defeat if I'm honest," said City boss Steve Bruce. "The dressing room is like a morgue."
Against a Newcastle United side short of ideas and crumbling under the scrutiny that shone on their under-fire manager Alan Pardew, the Tigers were cruising towards a fourth consecutive win on Tyneside.
The wonderful finishes of Nikica Jelavic and Mohamed Diame were worthy of winning two games.
But City are lacking a ruthless, hard-nosed edge since their opening day win was ground out at Queens Park Rangers.
Rather than slamming the door in the faces of their uncertain hosts, Newcastle were invited on to strike back.
They duly obliged with a late brace from Papiss Cisse. Goals in the 73rd and 87th minute punished poor defending and left Bruce cursing the sloppiness of his evolving side.
"We made mistakes and you can't at this level," said the City boss.
"It's soured what should be a really good day for us."
And City's start to the season. Had leads been better protected in the last month, the Tigers could be rubbing shoulders with the Premier League's surprise packages of Southampton and Aston Villa up on double figures. "It could have been a fantastic start for us but instead it's just a decent start," added Bruce.
There is nothing to be hung up on as City sit comfortably in mid-table, no mean feat for a side 43 games into their Premier League return, but Bruce must still yearn for the resilience of last term.
City lost just eight points from winning positions in the whole of last season.
When they went ahead, invariably they stayed there.
That quality has been lost in the search for a greater attacking edge.
Already City have seven goals this season, a tally they did not hit until mid-October of last season, and are fast becoming a bold and adventurous side, yet the security of 2013-14 appears to have been the sacrifice.
The key now is a balancing act; getting the best from his attack-minded players without leaving holes in the defensive line. Newcastle ought to have been conquered by City on Saturday and that reality hurt Bruce.
For three quarters of the contest his side were excellent.
They studiously sucked the venom from a potentially poisonous atmosphere and bided their time for the chance to strike.
After a timid first half that failed to live up to the "mass hysteria" predicted by Pardew, the subject of a high-profile campaign for change amongst the natives, all the action of note was packed into an energised second period that saw City purposefully seize the initiative.
The spark was provided by the brilliant Jelavic.
Although he had scuffed City's best chance of the first half when failing to do Andy Robertson's breathless 50-yard run from left-back justice, the Croatia international produced a scintillating moment beneath the 2,500 travelling supporters.
After Diame stole the ball from Jack Colback on the right of the Newcastle box, a first-time cross from Ahmed Elmohamady left Jelavic with much to do.
He pivoted and launched an acrobatic scissor-kick, leaving Tim Krul powerless to keep out the sweetest of right-foot volleys. Even some of the home supporters applauded.
A cautious game was carved open by Jelavic's magic and both sides had chances soon after.
Remy Cabella was denied by Allan McGregor's legs, before Stephen Quinn shot wide from 10 yards out when fortuitously assisted by Tom Huddlestone's deflected free-kick.
On 68 minutes, though, came City's second wonder goal.
Diame, whose industry and drive already appears a bargain at £3.5m, collected a Robertson pass and ignored the run of the overlapping full-back.
Instead, he had ideas of his own and when he turned his man to create a shooting opportunity, he unleashed a beautiful left-foot strike from 20 yards out that flew in off the upright.
Diame ran to celebrate with Hatem Ben Arfa sat close to the City dug-out and even the French winger would struggle to eclipse the skill demonstrated by the Senegal midfielder during a memorable first week with the club.
At that stage victory should have been routine, but it was then that the Tigers unravelled defensively.
Just as Newcastle were beginning to sink under the increasing jeers, the visitors tossed in a life vest.
Quinn's poor pass in the centre circle was pounced upon by Cheick Tiote and the midfielder's ball through a ragged defence allowed Cisse to shoot low under McGregor at the near post.
The clock ticked down on Newcastle and perhaps Pardew as City clung to a reduced advantage, but all the visitors' good work was undone three minutes from time.
A Moussa Sissoko ball from the left drifted over the poorly-positioned Robertson to find Yoan Gouffran and his pull-back was turned in by Cisse ahead of Curtis Davies and Michael Dawson.
Poor defending had ultimately undermined two of the best goals City will score all year and needlessly left two points behind in the north-east.
With Premier League champions Manchester City on the horizon following Wednesday's Capital One Cup tie at West Brom, it is clear where the improvements must come.
