Saturday marked the third league meeting between Celtic and St Mirren this season. It marked the third time St Mirren made things difficult for Celtic and put in a performance that some, myself included, might call "spirited" or "courageous".
But crucially, it also marked the third time Saints came away with nothing to show for these efforts, with Celtic scraping yet another unconvincing 1-0 win.
At times, this was a genuinely impressive showing from the visitors. We looked comfortable in possession and elevated stress levels among an already angsty home support.
But the league sadly doesn't award any points for having the most touches in the opposition box or most corners.
Next weekend the basement battle will resume as Saints, Kilmarnock, Dundee and Aberdeen compete in a fatal four-way to try to avoid a relegation play-off against (probably?) Partick Thistle.
Before that though, the Saints have the small matter of a Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic as we chase down an historic, improbable double. This league season has been a real slog for the Buddies, but the cups have been a different story.
Four months ago these players etched themselves into club folklore with a fantastic, fearless performance against this very same Celtic team in the League Cup final.
Both teams now have different managers but one thing that remains constant is the belief of the fanbase that Saints can turn over Martin O'Neill's men.
Across the four meetings, St Mirren have rarely been outclassed or outmatched at any point. If the team can repeat the positives of Saturday's performance, and add just a little bit of cutting edge, a first Scottish Cup final since 1987 could be on the cards.
And when you consider the reward would be a highly winnable final against either Falkirk or Dunfermline, that potential double becomes more real than ever.
For the players and coaching staff, the job is to remain calm and take each game as it comes. As St Mirren fans, we know deep down this is the right course of action, but when your team is 180 minutes away from a totally unthinkable thing, how can you not get carried away?
So, on Sunday, Saints make the eight-mile journey to Hampden once again, looking to make it three wins from three at the national stadium this season. Hopefully on 23 May, they'll be looking to make it four from four.
Billy Hogg can be found at Misery Hunters
