The feeling Hearts will feel as were Rangers there for the taking

That day Hearts showed up at Hampden Park. But that's about all they did. Passive, not laying a glove on Rangers. "We felt as a group we didn't give ourselves the best chance that day," Shankland admitted.

One hundred and sixty days later and it is difficult to imagine the team were feeling anything but regret once more following the 2-0 defeat on Sunday in Mount Florida. Disappointment and frustration, absolutely. But it all comes back to regret.

READ MORE: Hearts pay for wastefulness and worst start in Scottish Cup semi-final defeat

Hearts were much better than November, albeit the bar was low. They are a team that has undoubtedly grown in the past six months. They competed better. Demonstrated greater ambition. All elements fans returning to Hampden wanted to see from their side. But, ultimately, regret.

It was a missed opportunity against a Rangers side that were there for the taking.

When you play one of the Old Firm, especially in such a match, there is a checklist of things that are required. Everything from an inspired goalkeeping performance to a sound referee to a bit of luck. You also require the opposition to have an off day. If they are on top of their game then realistically there is not much you can do. Rangers weren't. They were better than against Ross County and Dundee but the vulnerability was evident. Whether it was John Souttar being caught in possession, John Lundstram, who at times was given far too much space, shelling passes out of the pitch or Fabio Silva comically falling over when a fantastic opportunity presented itself.

Some of the reactions from fans in the aftermath were, predictably and, to a point, understandably, OTT. Disappointment in seeing your team lose a semi-final feeds into that. Taking a pause, a step back, you realise for a large chunk of the game Hearts were there competing, controlling and causing Rangers issues.

Admittedly, it took too long to get going. The team were too tentative in the early stages reluctant to test Rangers in areas where the Ibrox side have struggled, namely behind and down the sides of the full-backs and centre-backs. Perhaps rocked by the concession of another cheap goal. The one thing Hearts didn't want to happen and with it being Kye Rowles at the centre of it, questions were naturally posed as to why Stephen Kingsley, arguably the club's most consistent performer at centre-back, was playing left-back and Alex Cochrane an unused substitute. 

When the team did begin to threaten they were simply not up to the standard needed. There is no other way to describe Hearts in the final third. Individually and collectively. Alan Forrest didn't get his head up to spot Shankland in the first half. When presented with options A, B and C Kenneth Vargas would choose D. Jorge Grant's impact was negligible. As for Shankland, on reflection his back post header was difficult, he wasn't at his best. 

Steven Naismith said: "We had four or five really good situations, we either pick the wrong option or overhit a pass or don't get the finish. In those moments we must hit the target, make the goalie make a save or score a goal."

That's why there was so much frustration, so much disappointment at the full-time whistle. That's why there should be regret once more. The feeling going into the match was so much different from November. There was a belief, confidence and a degree of expectation compared to apathy mixed with hope.

READ MORE: 'We've said it too many times': Kent on where Hearts went wrong against Rangers

Hearts had the opportunity to banish the Hampden hoodoo with Rangers but they didn't take it. They were always in the game without making that next step, undone by their own issues. Goals given up too easily at one end, attacks running into difficulty at the other end.

With Hearts in command of third place, a position they have occupied since December 16, Sunday's match acts as a two-fold reminder. In the first season under new management, the team have progressed at a steady rate to become a side that "deserve to be in third position" and are "the third-best team in the league" as per Rangers boss Philippe Clement. There is a solid foundation on which to build on. The flip side of the reminder is that there are still more levels to hit, individually and collectively. Hearts are still not quite slick enough in attack and a far from clinical while the eradication of defensive errors will only elevate the team further.

That is further down the road where an intriguing summer lies ahead before (potentially) mouthwatering European adventure. For now, before the focus shifts back to securing third spot sooner rather than later, there should be regret at what could have been. 

Finally, just a word on Macaulay Tait. The second goal came from the 18-year-old losing the ball when he was trying to drive his team forward. It came at a time when Hearts were on the ascendancy and all but killed off the momentum and any hope of getting back into it.

You could see by the reaction of the teenager when the ball hit the net and then at full-time that he was devastated, even if it was not solely on him. But his reaction after both were telling.

Who was it in the final third playing the pass into Yutaro Oda for his chance? Tait. Who stopped to speak in the mix zone after the game to speak about his error? Tait. Aside from an interview with the Evening News, it was the first time he had spoken to the press. 

Those moments tell you a helluva lot more about a player and an individual than a mistake that got punished when he was trying to be positive with the ball. He is the type of character who will learn from it - and it will only benefit Hearts and himself in the long run.