Monday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final replay ended in bitter disappointment for Roscommon as Mayo cruised to an emphatic 4-19 to 0-9 win at Croke Park.
Roscommon just could not cope with Mayo's greater physicality and power on a demoralising day at GAA headquarters.
Having come so close to defeating Mayo in the drawn encounter, Roscommon fell six points behind before replying with two.
But Mayo responded by rattling three goals courtesy of Kevin McLoughlin, Andy Moran, and Keith Higgins in a blistering five-minute spell.
Cillian O'Connor added a fourth Mayo major after the restart, as Roscommon were comprehensively defeated.
"One team got their stuff together and the other team fell off a cliff, I suppose," McStay said following the game.
"A young team got steamrolled by an experienced team - it was one-way traffic and they were miles ahead of us," he accepted.
"We can have no complaints and if they continue to play like that they’ll test their next opponent."
Mayo's runners from deep repeatedly hurt a distressed Roscommon outfit.
"Colm Boyle and Keith Higgins made huge impacts from the sweeper position, or six position," McStay remarked.
"They’d take a gamble that they’d win the ball, run off the shoulder and we couldn't cope. They pulled us apart.
"They had energy we hadn't seen from Mayo in a while and we couldn’t cope. They will be very competitive the next day."
Mayo boss Stephen Rochford was delighted with how his team performed even without injured Footballer of the Year, Lee Keegan.
"We're in the All-Ireland semi-final so I'm as happy, as that tends to lead any of the other managers that are there as well," Rochford remarked.
"Obviously it was a bit documented about Lee having spent some time in hospital this week," he added.
"He would have been available if needed, going into the final 20 or 25 minutes. He'd made a really, really good recovery.
"It's an opportunity just to acknowledge our own medical team and the medical team in Mayo General for the good work they did with him."
Rochford was impressed with how Donal Vaughan and Tom Parsons influenced the match also.
"We just felt we needed to put more pace into the game and that's what Tom and Donal afforded us. They were really good around the middle third," he commented.
"Possession is nine-tenths of the law. I thought we did really well there in getting our hands on the ball.
"Certainly we didn't turn it over half as many times as we did last week. That would have led to a lot of frustration in the camp last week."
Roscommon manager, Kevin McStay, was struck by how ruthless Mayo were throughout the replay.
"They jumped on us and put the boot on the throat and that was it," McStay reflected. "They went for it. And every big attack they were getting down the middle just gave them more confidence. Like, they were looking for goals every second attack."
Rochford's thoughts have now switched to an attractive All-Ireland SFC semi-final against Kerry on August 20.
“The carrot now that dangles in front of the group is the chance to play in an All Ireland final. What did you come back for in January if this isn’t what it’s about? It’s been a fascinating Championship for everybody. Wouldn’t be quite the word I’d use with our own Championship but look, it’s been challenging and loads of players have had time."
"Through the back door last year we got more of a flow of what our team is about and I just hope that over the next fortnight or so we continue in that frame of mind."
