Leicester City boss Nigel Pearson bemoaned a lack of killer instinct as his side lost ground in the race for promotion.
Only a last-minute equaliser spared City's blushes against struggling Barnsley at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
City seemed to be heading for a shock home defeat against a Tykes side that had not won in their previous nine games until substitute Jamie Vardy grabbed a late equaliser to make it 2-2.
The draw saw City drop two places to fifth in the Championship table, and they are now seven points behind leaders Cardiff.
Pearson said City had dominated the game against Barnsley without displaying that killer instinct.
"In a game that I don't think they were in, we gifted them two goals and had to fight to get anything out of it," he said.
"We could have had a penalty at the end for handball, but I don't blame the officials for us not getting three points.
"We weren't ruthless enough, really. We had plenty of chances and didn't play as well as we can do, but they weren't in the game."
City had appeared to be heading towards a third consecutive comfortable home win when Anthony Knockaert put them ahead in the ninth minute.
But City then gifted the equaliser to Stephen Dawson when Kasper Schmeichel made a rare mistake.
Further generous defending allowed Reuben Noble-Lazarus to put the Tykes ahead and, although City laid siege to the Barnsley goal, it was not until Vardy's strike that they avoided what would have been a devastating defeat.
"We started the game very well but gave them two goals out of nothing," said Pearson.
"We got something out of the game, which is a positive, but we should win those sorts of games. It was a barnstorming finish and, even throughout the second half, they weren't really a threat.
"It is probably as dominant as you can be without really winning a game. It shows you can't afford to give away poor goals.
"It was a rare mistake from Kasper, but it happens. It was unfortunate because we started the game so well and were in total control. We were the architects of our own downfall."
