It might have been a comfortable 4-0 Chelsea win that should have been comfier still, but there was realism from Hull City on Friday.
Some left early, arrested for discriminatory chanting, but the ground was pretty full as a snowswept game reached its inevitable conclusion. Rather than dwell on a third winless game, they asked Liam Rosenior, Segej Jakirovic and Acun Ilicali to give them a wave. All did.
Chelsea were not at full strength, Cole Palmer getting some Dubai sun, Marc Cucurella injured, World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez on late.
Hull were not either, resting Oli McBurnie and Charlie Hughes, Joe Gelhardt used from the bench too, giving only a second senior start to Cathal McCarthy and playing cup goalkeeper Dillon Phillips.
The gap between the lower ranks of a top Premier League club and a top Championship side is even wider than between their best XIs.
Pedro Neto scored a hat-trick, former Tigers loanee Liam Delap atoned for a poor early miss with three assists and despite a couple of good saves, Phillips had a bad night, nutmegged by a Neto corner.
But first and foremost it was about learning for a club who were never going to win their first FA Cup this season, but could win promotion.
"Playing against those players is not going to make me a worse player," argued 19-year-old McCarthy, new from Irish second-tier University College Dublin in the summer.
EXPERIENCE: Cathal McCarthy closes down Estevao of Chelsea (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)placeholder image
EXPERIENCE: Cathal McCarthy closes down Estevao of Chelsea (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
"I suppose they're the best in the world. It was a tough game but there's positives, no problem at all.
"If you'd told me eight or nine months ago I was going to be playing against Chelsea in the FA Cup in front of a sold-out MKM, I wouldn't have believed you.
"Albeit the result, it is a proud moment for me. Playing against a team like that is very special.
"They're (club) world champions for a reason. They were quality all over the pitch. That might be the standard next season.
DISAPPOINTMENT: Hull City players react after Pedro Neto (not pictured) completes his hat-trick (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)placeholder image
DISAPPOINTMENT: Hull City players react after Pedro Neto (not pictured) completes his hat-trick (Image: George Wood/Getty Images)
"They just didn't lose the ball, did they? (£115m Moises) Caicedo in midfield, he's class.
"Every time they get forward, they can hurt you, like their first goal, Pedro Neto. It's just moments of magic that maybe you don't see in the Champ that they have in the Premier League and other teams in the Premier League will have."
Just walking into his post-match press conference was an eye-opener for Hull's Bosnian coach Jakirovic, who muttered "I've never seen so many people" on his way out.
He felt his team had learnt "that you can play, that you have to believe you can play against everyone."
THREE AND EASY: Estevao gets on the scoresheet (Image: Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)placeholder image
THREE AND EASY: Estevao gets on the scoresheet (Image: Oli SCARFF / AFP via Getty Images)
Lewis Koumas, who hit a post in added time, missed a chance at 0-0 made by Liam Millar’s persistence.
At this level, you must take your chances – at least if you are underdogs. Estevao missed an open goal after rounding Phillips, Delap dwelt on a great chance after deflecting a Phillips clearance onto the crossbar.
So Chelsea just created more.
Hull kept it in perspective.
"I said if you play like this, you don't have any worries," revealed Jakirovic. "It's about the mindset, that you can pass even Chelsea players, that you can create some chances. We must continue like this."
"We're not going to dwell on it," McCarthy promised. "It's Saturday (at home to Queens Park Rangers) we have to work towards – can we stay in those play-off spots?"
"The spirit, character and threat in transition, they're going to be a difficult team. I really hope it happens," said Rosenior, before a beer with Jakirovic and chat with Ilicali.
It was the mood of the night, no one too disappointed.
"There's a lot to be excited for the rest of the season," said McCarthy. “We just want to finish strongly."