Frustrated Lewis Ferguson admitted Aberdeen lacked Scott Brown’s spark as their batteries ran flat at Easter Road.
The Dons were looking to make it four wins on the bounce as they faced up to Shaun Maloney’s Hibs on Wednesday night after an 11 day break.
But with skipper Brown ruled out through illness and a big doubt for the Boxing Day clash with Dundee, Stephen Glass' side didn’t have the midfield power needed to go the distance and succumbed to Ryan portions’ second-half header.
Ferguson and Dean Campbell took over the central patrol with Brown absent and while they put on a commanding first-half show Fergie confessed they could have done with their captain out there after the break.
He said: “I enjoy taking on that leadership but I would rather have Scott Brown playing.
“I thought we missed him, we missed that sort of presence that he brings. We missed him on the pitch and in the dressing room, he is that type of guy you miss when he’s not there. He drives the boys on.
“It’s a hard one to take, I don’t think we deserved to win the game but I don’t think we deserved to lose it.
|To lose it on a set piece is really disappointing. I thought in the first half we were okay but we never managed to kick on in the second half.
“Yeah, I don’t know why [we lacked energy] because we’ve not played for a while. It shouldn’t be the case, it’s a strange one.
“They felt a wee bit different but that shouldn’t happen, we’re professionals and fit boys and we should be ready for these challenges.
“We really should not lose that game on a set-piece.
“We’ve been really good in the last few games, really fluid, getting on the ball and getting into good areas and getting chances.
“Sometimes that just doesn’t happen. Maybe Hibs defended really well against our front players so you have to give them credit and maybe our front players weren’t at it.
“You have nights like that and when you do you need to keep it tight at the back and see the game out and you would take that here.
It’s a hard one to take.”
Brown is also a doubt for the Boxing Day clash with Dundee, which is now the Dons' final game before the rescheduled winter break.
The showdown with Jaes McPake's strugglers will see a return to eerie atmospheres with just 500 fans allowed through the turnstile for the Pittodrie clash.
And Ferguson admits it feels like a backward step after Scottish clubs welcomed back full houses earlier this year.
He said: “It’s going to be difficult. It’s tough times at the minute.
“Football for a lot of people is a way of life and it’s getting taken away from everybody. It’s a hard time for everybody involved in football at the minute.
“We managed to get used to it last season and it’s great to have everyone back in this season.
“To have it taken away is disappointing but hopefully it does not affect our performances on the pitch. We’re professional and we’ll look to go and win these games. For everybody involved it’s a sore one to take.
“It’s not good for the players as well.”
