Bulls boss Matt Chatfield said he was left scratching his head after AFC were beaten by a clinical Liversedge side.
Despite a flurry of second-half chances after Ross Duggan drew the hosts level, Chatfield's side couldn't kill off the tie and the visitors came back to haunt them with a late quickfire Joe Walton hat-trick on the break.
To say the least, the gaffer was upset not to add any points to the board: "20 minutes into the second half we were the much better side.
"The difference is they've had five good chances and scored four goals - we've probably had nine or ten good chances and scored one.
"I'm disappointed for the lads because we moved the ball and did everything we want to do, today we showed how good we were on the ball.
"They were just more clinical in the last 20 minutes, so fair play to them and I wish them all the best."
Chances went amiss on countless occasions for the Bulls, with Luke Walker and Ross Duggan both missing big opportunities to put AFC ahead after trailing.
"Even at one-nil down I thought that we were doing enough to win the game, and we said at half-time to keep doing what we were doing and we'll win the game.
"Basic mistakes at the wrong times cost us today - on another day we would have scored four or five and even today we deserved that, but it was just not to be."
Encouraged by a positive performance, Chatfield said that the improvements from last weekend were down to being able to train for the first time in weeks: "For 70 minutes we were so good on the ball, it just shows what one week of training can do.
"Then we started being direct again for the last 20 minutes, that's something we're not good at and it showed because they were creating gaps and they were clinical.
Having taken just one point on the road in the Toolstation NCEL Premier Division so far, Chatfield is eager to earn a first away league win at the third attempt on Saturday against Bottesford, but insisted that the game being away from home has no effect on preparations.
"Home or away it doesn't matter, if we play our style of football we are going to beat teams, but if we start playing to what other teams are like then we're not and that's a lesson for the lads.
"I can't wait for another away trip. It's a bit of pressure off the lads, they know what they need to do."