Connacht SF FinalMayo 2-13 Roscommon 0-9 Following on from their handsome win against a paling Galway, John Maughan's young team simply breezed past a pedestrian and muted Roscommon side with admirably little fuss. As against Galway, they lived dangerously in the first 10 minutes before settling into a fairly straightforward and appealing game plan.
Mayo had several excellent performers but it is hard to over-estimate the value of the spring peace talks that persuaded Ciarán McDonald to return to county colours. The Crossmolina maverick may have had his problems with the broader football public but his presence enriches Mayo and the entire championship.
Here, his passing and crystal-clear thinking were a delight to behold. He conducted affairs, and then the brothers Mortimer ran riot across Roscommon's rearguard. Conor was razor sharp and composed all day while Trevor belted home the 18th-minute goal that set his team on their way.
With James Gill and David Brady tidy and industrious all afternoon and Conor Moran a thorn for Roscommon at both ends of the field, Mayo played a style of football that will be food for the soul of those who are beginning to despair for the modern game. Their class on the ball lit up what was in general a poor game.
Roscommon's disappointing summer continues unabated. Back in March, they seemed to be firing on all cylinders but right now they are spluttering. Their front six managed just a single point from play. They hit just two points in the first half and looked cold after 20 minutes.
Proven players like David Casey and Francie Grehan were passive for long periods. Their current form is frustrating for them because early on in this match they promised at least a good fight.
Séamus O'Neill rose to claim two inspirational fetches at midfield and then vanished. Three times they carved through the heart of the Mayo defence, with John Tiernan narrowly missing goal after a flowing move involving O'Neill, Karol Mannion and Gary Cox.
Had they taken that early chance, then perhaps they would have settled, but instead they faded as Mayo fell into their pattern. Two missed frees by Frankie Dolan spelt the worst for the team but it was nonetheless a major surprise when he did not reappear on the field after half-time.
It was a brave decision by the selectors and was vindicated by the fact that his replacement, Ger Heneghan, finished as the team's highest scorer. Still, you cannot overstate how important Frankie is to Roscommon and removing him was a bit like the director deciding it would be fun to kill off James Bond in the first scene of the movie.
It was precisely the kind of game that needed Frankie to work up a head of steam and start banging over points from mad angles - though the chances of him doing that were remote; he simply would not have been let.
For all Mayo's polish, they are pretty good stoppers as well and possess a blue-collar work ethic. David Heaney had a few uncomfortable moments early on but settled down with James Nallen in Mayo's defence, which was aided by the work of Gill, Brady, Dillon and McDonald, who hustled hard again. The team actually fouled more than Roscommon but afforded Frankie few opportunities to get hot through free kicks.
Once in possession, Mayo moved fast and through McDonald as often as possible. His sweet, weighted pass to James Nallen, who had ventured deep into opposition territory, set up the first goal. Nallen squared a pass to Trevor Mortimer, who gave Shane Curran no chance.
It was a fine goal but Mayo's most pleasing move came after 57 minutes. James Gill leaped for a high ball, played McDonald, his perfect pass was palmed first time by Trevor Mortimer and his brother snapped over a point. It was great, first-touch stuff but by then Mayo were 1-12 to 0-7 up and just coasting.
Their winter find, Austin O'Malley, finally got some sun on his back with five minutes left and reminded Mayo of his eye for scores by firing a goal on 70 minutes, inspiring a wholly unanticipated pitch invasion. That score involved Gill and McDonald again but was initiated by a fine midfield fetch by Ronan McGarrity.
The lean Ballina man is kind of emblematic of Mayo: making a few mistakes but learning with each game and full of athleticism.
Maughan has concocted a team that has more natural flair than those of the last generation. And their presence in the quarter-finals is a boon for any football fan because when they flow they are a joy on the eye.
The argument against them is that they are a bit physically lightweight and perhaps a touch innocent for the hard frontier of Croke Park. That remains to be seen but the great plains of the super stadium will suit them and there is definitely a hard edge to their mental approach that suggests they will not be intimidated by the bright lights.
As the departing Roscommon folk caught word of last night's draw on the radio, they must have been heartened by the thought of a win-or-bust scenario against Dublin.
If a backs-to-the-wall date with the glamour side of football cannot whip Francie Grehan, Frankie and Shane Curran into a state of cussed rebellion, then nothing will. Meantime, across Mayo, the home fires are crackling merrily again.
MAYO: F Ruddy; C Moran (0-1), D Heaney, G Ruane; G Mullins, J Nallen, F Costello; D Brady, R McGarrity; J Gill, K McDonald (0-1), A Dillon (0-1, free); C Mortimer (0-9, 6 frees), T Mortimer (1-1), B Maloney. Subs: P Gardiner for G Mullins (21 mins), P Kelly for F Costello ( 55 mins), A Moran for A Dillon (61 mins), A O'Malley (1-0) for B Maloney (65 mins), D Sweeney for C Moran (68 mins).
ROSCOMMON: S Curran; J Whyte, M Ryan, J Nolan; D Casey, F Grehan, A McPadden; S O'Neill, S Lohan (0-1); G Cox, J Hanly (0-1), J Tiernan; J Dunning, K Mannion, F Dolan (0-1, free). Subs: G Heneghan (0-5 frees) for F Dolan (half-time), N Dineen (0-1) for J Hanly (half-time), J Rogers for J Nolan (half-time), D Connellan for J Dunning (56 mins), R Cox for J Tiernan (60 mins).
Referee: B White (Wexford).
