The Greenock men managed to keep Alan Stubbs’ side out until the 58th minute when substitute Jason Cummings came on to score the only goal of the game with his first touch.

Before then, Ton forwards Peter MacDonald and Stefan McCluskey both passed up excellent chances on the counter-attack.

Although he was proud of his players’ efforts, the combination of those misses and the lapse at the goal meant Duffy still found leaving Easter Road empty handed hard to take.

He told the Tele: “We could have taken something from that game, of course we could have. We had the two best chances in the first half really. There was Peaso’s chance and Stef was right through, and if you score one of those opportunities then I suppose Hibs might get a wee bit edgy and rush things.

“There were just those one or two key moments, where we could have capitalised but just didn’t take them.

“That’s the difference. You’ve got to be clinical at this level, and if you’re not then you go back home with nothing.

“It was a wee lapse in concentration for us at the goal. Obviously Cummings came on and it took us a few minutes to get adjusted to him.

“But we didn’t have that time; it was his [with his] first touch he scored. [Martin] Boyle is running behind you all the time whereas Cummings is coming off. It was just a slight change that took us five minutes to adjust to him, but by that time we were a goal down.

“We did express to the players that they would bring Cummings on if it was 0-0, and that he was a different type of player.

“He is someone who will drop off, look to come onto his left foot, and who will make late runs into the box.

“So it wasn’t something they weren’t aware of, it was just that it happened so quickly. I think he scored with his first touch and it caught us by surprise a wee bit.

“Cummings has a wee bit of quality — I think he scored 17 goals last year — and sometimes you’ve got to hold your hands up and understand good players find space even if you’re not happy about it.

“We actually defended wide balls really well. We got our bodies in good areas and good positions to defend most of the stuff that came our way.

“And overall, as a manager you look at it tactically, and I thought we made it very difficult for Hibs. It was only a couple of headers from set-pieces that they had.

“When you come to Easter Road, you come to make it as difficult as you can for the home team, which we did do, and we still had chances as well.

“I’m disappointed we lost the match, of course, but from my point of view, we competed really well and I think the players can take a lot of credit.

“I’m proud of the players today. When you put as much into the game as they did and get nothing out of it, it feels like a kick in the teeth.

“You can’t ask for too much more, and I think the fans appreciated that as well — they applauded them off the pitch because I think they knew every player gave 100 per cent for the jersey.

“When you come here you ask the players to give that commitment, and it was there in abundance over the 90 minutes.

“Ultimately, you are here to try and get points on board and we go home with nothing, so it’s a sore one.

“But we just have to try and learn from it a little bit. We know that at this level against a team of Hibs’ calibre, if you switch off on one occasion you can be punished, and that’s what happened.”