Burnley manager Scott Parker attributed the tense atmosphere at Turf Moor during their goalless Championship draw with Derby County to poor decision-making.
The Clarets struggled to break down the Rams’ defense, which hindered their attacking play and led to a frustrating setback in their bid for automatic promotion.
Despite the disappointing result, Parker’s side remains third in the table, unbeaten in their last seven matches, and only two points behind leaders Leeds United.
“I felt it in the stadium – I’m sure the players did as well. I’m conscious of that and I’m trying to explain to them about their emotional state,” Parker told BBC Radio Lancashire.
“We’ve come here as a group, and the fans included, expecting and wanting to win the game. We endeavoured to try and do that but we fell short.
“The back end [of the match] the anxiety of what it was was players making poor decisions out of pure desperation, nothing other than a desperate bunch of men trying their hardest but falling short because of the decisions they were making.”
Burnley fell narrowly short of victory but are still in the hunt for a top-two spot and an immediate return to the Premier League with the midway point of the season approaching, but Parker said his players are upset they could not clinch all three points against Derby.
“The hardest part of the game in certain moments is looking for a bit of quality and brilliance that unlocks the door for you,” he added.
“At times we’ve fallen short and that’s my responsibility as a coach to help this group and ensure we’re better.
“Like always, we’ll be relentless in the pursuit of that and so will the lads. They are devastated in that sense.”