Damien Duff said his Shelbourne players were disappointed not to take all the points from their meeting with last season's title rivals Shamrock Rovers at Tolka Park.
The champions and the team who won four in a row before that drew 1-1 in a game that suggested they will both involved at the business end again this season.
"I thought we looked really strong, really powerful and controlled the game near on the whole second half.
"You can smell it. You can feel it. I think everybody in the ground can feel it, if there's only one team here, it's going to be us. It wasn't to be.
"I thought they [Shamrock Rovers] were outstanding. They've had a lot to deal with. They haven't had a pre-season. They haven't had an off-season, and I thought they showed real quality at times in the first half around their defensive third.
"I thought the subs really impacted the game. Do we create enough clear chances? I don't know. I'll have to look back. But I thought we had a lot of brilliant moments."
Duff's men remain unbeaten and top the table after three games.
"It's all about just build and build and build, and chipping away at your points," he said. "So we'll take the point and we'll move on.
"You'd have to say, brilliant start to the season. I think maybe two points that got away tonight because the lads aren't up there celebrating, they're disappointed but, we've come out of the blocks again and long may it continue."
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley felt a draw was a fair result, but that his team had had "the better chances".
"Aaron Mc[Eneff] if he squares, it's a tap-in for Graham [Burke]. We had one or two in the first half. We were much better in the first half, they had more control of the second half. So yeah, it probably is a fair point.
"Really satisfied. First half we were excellent. Really dominated the game. We were really good and then second half we had to dig in on a really poor pitch. We had to dig in and grind it out and we did that."
Bradley said there was no concern over Rovers not having played since their Europa Conference League exit to Molde eight days ago.
"I've always said this team's at their best when they're playing regular games. I don't know why people are making such a big deal out of a game [v Cork last Sunday] being off.
"We've been doing this for five years, playing Thursday, Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. That's life when you're successful. I don't understand why people are making a big deal of it."
Liam Burt, who spent last season on loan at Shels from Rovers, before departing the latter by mutual consent last week, hit out at the Tallaght club on social media on Friday for what he said was a failure to contact him after he had joined Shelbourne, or in the post-season.
"We wish him the best," was Bradley's response. "Hopefully he gets over his injury and kicks on and has a good career.
"He's done well here. He's won a league here. He should be happy. Move on and the best of luck with your career."
Duff said he was "Oblivious - I'm not on social media - to what's gone on or what text has been. And, it doesn't involve me. So I don't really care, to be brutally honest.
"Liam loved it here. He played a big part in us winning the title. Especially on the run in, the last two, three games. He scored a big goal against Waterford.
"Of course if it was me, I'd be slightly aggrieved because I take great, great pride in how I treat my players."
