Manager Neale Cooper lamented his strikers' lack of cutting edge after Hartlepool drew a blank in a goalless draw with Exeter.
Both sides came close to snatching a late winner, with goalkeeper Artur Krysiak denying Antony Sweeney and Exeter defender Troy Archibald-Henville planting a free header straight at Scott Flinders.
Cooper admitted a draw was a fair result, but was still frustrated.
"It was a frustrating game," he said. "We needed better quality on the ball and we gave the ball away too easily at times.
"When you come to a place like Exeter you are not going to get that many chances so when you do create one you have to take it.
"We have got a long journey home now. The positives are that we never lost any goals and we created one or two chances, but overall the quality has to be better on the ball."
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