Connacht SFC/ Galway 2-10 Mayo 0-9: Everything you know is wrong. Yesterday's Bank of Ireland Connacht football championship first round at Pearse Stadium was a ruinous afternoon for conventional wisdom.
John O'Mahony's second coming as Mayo manager had been seen as the dynamic that could revive the county's fortunes and, given they had spent the spring as second-best team in the country, there seemed little reason to dispute the assumption.
Mayo's resilient NFL campaign had included a win over Galway in the semi-final and for many this was sufficient indication that, whatever about higher ambitions, there would be enough in the champions' tank to see off their closest rivals.
There wasn't. From the moment the match started after the teams had completed their elaborate repositioning routines, Mayo looked dazed and uncertain and Galway were soon taking advantage.
Another great consensus was also destroyed: the match didn't turn out to be remotely close despite a recent history of squeaky one-score wins.
Instead Galway won almost as they pleased, and had they turned the screw in earnest Mayo would be nursing a far heavier defeat than the seven points that separated the sides at the end.
There was some devil's advocacy about what might have eventuated if Conor Mortimer had scored a goal just after half-time when his shot cannoned back of the crossbar and was cleared. Or if David Brady had been able to solo the ball a little more economically after intercepting in front of goal. But to most people in the crowd of nearly 25,000 it seemed most likely Galway would have tipped the pedal.
Mayo's total of nine points included just two from play, and though there were quite a few squandered opportunities that was more a symptom of how poorly the team was performing than an index of misfortune.
Both teams had a good idea each would change their starting line-up but the match-up of Mayo's defence and Galway's attack featured a dizzying array of alterations. Mayo had obviously decided to follow their men wherever that led but once the music stopped there was a strong impression the Galway forwards would prove more adaptable than their markers.
Within two minutes the home side struck for the first of two well-timed goals from Cormac Bane, a former pupil of his manager, Peter Ford. Niall Coleman's fine delivery sent Bane in and his finish was precise. Already Mayo were feeling the pressure.
Yet it looked as if the champions might have ridden the storm when they got to the 11th minute just two behind, 0-2 to 1-1.
But in the 20th minute with still the goal between the teams Galway strung together a sweeping move featuring six players and both Pádraic Joyce and Bane twice. Finally Micheál Meehan, whose switching between the corner and the 40 proved successful - released Bane and his shot nearly smoked the net for a six-point lead that was never substantially threatened.
By now there was panic in the air for Mayo. Too many defenders were at sea. Wing backs Enda Devenney and Peadar Gardiner are fast, running counterattackers but under formidable pressure their defensive game was in trouble and both were replaced in the first half.
David Heaney's anticipated switch to full back worked out and Pádraic Joyce was kept scoreless from play, but elsewhere there were few Mayo victories.
David Brady had to come on to add presence to a centrefield that was missing Heaney, and up front the offensive moves were hesitant and at times bewildered, the ball being fouled more than once as Mayo tried to penetrate Galway's edgier defence, where Damien Burke was outstanding at corner back and regular centre back Diarmuid Blake contributed well after entering the fray on 14 minutes as a replacement for the injured Niall Coyne.
Frequently Mayo didn't seem to know what to do with the ball beyond lengthy, aimless bouts of short passing. A good example was a move that petered out a couple of minutes before half-time when Kieran Fitzgerald stepped in to block the umpteenth pass and secure a free.
Galway monopolised the purposeful play, by way of illustration flashing down the field before the break and Nicky Joyce playing a one-two off Bane before kicking a point for the half-time lead of 2-05 to 0-5.
Despite the home team having played with a strong wind in the first half - Mayo won the toss and opted to face it - their superiority hadn't looked dependent on the elements.
O'Mahony wasn't slow to make changes and 15 minutes into the second half Trevor Mortimer - who faded after a good start - was taken off just as captain Kevin O'Neill had been a few minutes previously in order to introduce Ciarán McDonald for his first county match since last year's All-Ireland final.
By then it was too late for any realistic chance of serious intervention.
Although this wasn't an undisciplined match there were a number of mean challenges and two players got the line. At one stage while Ja Fallon - constructive and intelligent in his use of the ball all the way through - was kicking a point in the 39th minute, a brawl was taking place around the midfield area.
Pat Harte got a straight red a few minutes later, having flashed an elbow at Micheál Meehan, and on the hour Niall Coleman followed for a second yellow card.
The match was played out shapelessly with Galway having done their work and Mayo facing an unpleasant period of introspection.
GALWAY: 1 P Doherty; 2 K Fitzgerald, 3 F Hanley, 4 D Burke; 7 D Meehan, 6 N Coyne, 5 M Comer; 8 J Bergin, 9 N Coleman (0-1); 11 J Fallon (0-1), 13 M Meehan (0-1, free), 12 N Joyce (0-3, two frees); 10 D Savage (0-2), 14 P Joyce (0-1, free), 15 C Bane (2-1). Subs: 23 D Blake for Coyne (14 mins); 19 B Cullinane for Fallon (70 mins); 18 M Clancy for Bane, 22 G Sice for Hanley (both 71 mins); 28 F Breathnach for Savage (72 mins).
Yellow cards: F Hanley (12 mins); J Fallon (27 mins); J Bergin (29 mins); N Coleman (40 and 60 mins); D Savage (70 mins). Red card: N Coleman (60 mins).
MAYO: 1 K O'Malley; 2 L O'Malley, 8 D Heaney, 7 P Gardiner; 5 E Devenney, 4 K Higgins, 3 BJ Padden; 6 J Nallen, 9 P Harte; 11 T Mortimer, 14 K O'Neill, 12 A Dillon (0-2, one free); 13 C Mortimer (0-6, all frees), 10 G Brady, 15 A Moran (0-1). Subs: 21 D Brady for Devenney (27 mins); 17 A Higgins for Gardiner (34 mins); 25 C McDonald for O'Neill (43 mins); 18 T Howley for T Mortimer (49 mins); 24 A O'Malley for Dillon (56 mins).
Yellow cards: P Harte (40 mins), BJ Padden (64 mins). Red card: P Harte (45 mins).
Attendance: 24,387.
Referee: J McQuillan(Cavan).
