Mickey Graham defended Mullinalaghta's decision to go toe-to-toe with St. Vincent's after their fairytale season ended with a gallant Leinster club SFC semi-final defeat.
After ending a 66-year wait for Longford SFC honours in October, St. Columba's claimed the scalps of Stradbally and St. Loman's in Leinster, but yesterday's encounter with the All-Ireland favourites proved to be a bridge too far.
"We could have set up a massed defence and tried to frustrate them, but that wasn't us," the Mullinalaghta manager said in the Irish Daily Star.
"We went out to play football and I think beforehand people probably would have thought at half-time they'd be heading for the gates with that sort of an approach by us. But they were treated to some lovely football from both sides. I'm just so proud of those lads."
The former Cavan star felt St. Vincent's greater strength in depth was the difference after they outscored the Connolly Cup holders by 1-5 to 0-2 in the final quarter.
"They were bringing on lads with inter-county experience and then you look at all the former and current Dublin players they had, also lads who had played U21 for Dublin, we don't have the luxury.
"But as regards heart and determination, you couldn't have asked for more from our lads."
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