Ed | Roy
We all did, Ed, but nobody was offering an alternative and we were running out of time. You did what you knew you could, within the circumstances you were given. There's nothing to apologize for.
Not everyone is going to agree with the choice, but that's alright. If they come at you for the decision, just ask what you can do to resolve their concern. Most of the time they won't have anything and they'll shut up.