Cefn Druids boss Huw Griffiths insists the club's players should be proud of their brief Europa League campaign.

The Ancients lost 1-0 FK Trakaai in their Europa League preliminary round second leg in Vilnius, where a penalty from former Everton midfielder Diniyar Bilyaletdinov proved decisive.

The result earned the hosts a 2-1 aggregate victory, with Griffiths' unfancied side producing two battling displays against more experienced European opposition.

Griffiths said: "They definitely gave us more respect after the way we played in that first leg.

"I thought we were excellent on the night and really unlucky not to get ourselves a goal at there.

"When at times last week it was us sitting back and under pressure, this week it was us pushing them and playing with a lot of confidence.

"The lads are disappointed to go out, but they've got to be massively proud of the way they've performed.

"I've got nothing but praise and admiration for the way they've conducted themselves while representing themselves, the club and Welsh football.

"This whole experience has been a great club effort and we need to thank all the people who came to Lithuania to support us too, they were brilliant."

With few clear-cut chances in the game's opening stages Druids pair Alec Mudimu and Ryan Kershaw tested Tomas Švedkauskas with half chances, before Druids keeper Michael Jones saved brilliantly to deny Donatas Kazlauskas.

Trakai were awarded a penalty after 30 minutes when Justinas Marazas found space in the box and was brought down by Jones, with Bilyaletdinov unerringly slotting home the spot kick.

Rokas Masenzovas almost doubled the lead when his curling effort from the edge of the box crashed against the bar with Jones beaten.

Druids were almost level before the break but defender Nathan Peate's header flew just wide of the target.

Sustained Trakai pressure after the restart failed to yield a second goal for the hosts, before industrious Druids midfielder Arek Piskorski's cross evaded the on-running James Davies and Matty Owen.

After an energy-sapping and combative performance, the Druids came agonisingly close to forcing extra-time when substitute Alun Morris headed Naim Arsan's inches wide late on.

Despite the disappointment of defeat, Peate insisted that Druids have exited the competition with their heads held high.

He said: "We've done our best by throwing everything at them and the boys are dead on their feet.

"We had a late chance which has gone just wide of the post, but we've got be proud after a very tough night.

"Everyone's written us off before. At the start of the season we were favourites to go down and we got top six and then we've got into Europe and drawn the strongest team we could have.

"But we've made ourselves proud with a great result at home, we just didn't have quite enough to get that one goal here."