Mayo can have no complaints about this one. Roscommon stood up when the game was there to be won, stuck to their game plan and hurt Mayo on the scoreboard when the chances arose.
Roscommon swarmed their defensive line and hit Mayo with pace and accuracy on the break, while Mayo struggled to find holes in the Rossie rearguard and moved the ball too slowly and not with enough attacking intent to break down a stubborn and solid rearguard.
It all looked to be going well for Mayo early doors, by the time the first water break came around they were 0-3 to 0-0 up, thanks to points from Jack Carney, Jack Mahon and Connell Dempsey - but that was as good as it got and their profligacy in front of the posts in the first half cost them at the end.
The Rossies raced out of the traps after the restart of the action following the water break. Points from James Fitzpatrick, Darragh Heneghan and one from Ben O'Carroll had the game level by the 26th minute.
O'Carroll showed real heart and fight to win a race to the ball, ending up on the ground with his man, ripping it from his grasp, and then playing a one-two before slotting it over the bar - showing the fight was well alive in the primrose and blue county men.
Fitzpatrick put them into the lead for the first time in the game three minutes from the half time break and they never looked back. Keith Doyle had a goal ruled out for a square ball for the eventual victors, much like Jack Mahon had earlier on for Mayo - but they took that blow on the chin and Daire Cregg fired over a long range point to put them 0-5 to 0-3 up.
Mayo did cut the gap back to a single point right before the median whistle thanks to a Jack Carney point, but at that stage already, Mayo had to recycle the ball constantly as they struggled to find gaps in the Ross' defence.
The second half opened with both sides trading points through Adam McDermott and Dempsey - but it was all about to turn up for Roscommon from then on to the final whistle. A brace of points from Cregg had his side three clear and then on 41 minutes in, they plundered their first goal.
Mayo looked to be clearing their lines, when McDermott overturned his man, collected the ball from the deck and drove at the Mayo goal before firing it past Ronan Connolly - and the Rossie faithful in the small sell-out attendance were humming. Fitzpatrick fired over a point and they were seven up and the game was drifting further away from Mayo.
Maurice Sheridan's men were thrown a lifeline, when Connell Dempsey chased in a long ball and was fouled by Colin Walsh in the process. Walsh got a black card and Mayo were awarded the penalty - up stepped Jack Mahon who had dispatched two the previous week in Mayo's win over Galway in the semi-final - but Conor Carroll had done his homework and guessed the right way to save the ball and that was that.
Fitzpatrick got a second goal for Roscommon seven minutes from full time after Mayo were turned over again close to their own goal, to stretch their lead even further out. Mayo did manage to get a goal of their own when they were awarded a second penalty of the day and Dempsey did the dutiful, but it was immaterial - a bit of paint to cover over a bad crack.
Mayo will wonder what could have been. It's the cruelty of knock-out football. One bad day at the office, when you are just a bit off and it's all taken away from you.
Scorers
Mayo: Connell Dempsey (1-2, 1-0pen, 0-1f ), Jack Carney (0-2 ), Jack Mahon (0-1, 1m ), Sean Holmes (0-1 ), Owen McHale (0-1 )
Roscommon: James Fitzpatrick (1-3 ), Daire Boyle (0-5, 3f ), Adam McDermott (1-1 ), Darragh Heneghan (0-1 ), Ben O’Carroll (0-1 ),
Mayo: Ronan Connolly; Sean Holmes, Ruairi Keane, Donnacha McHugh; Conor Flynn, Ryan Baynes, Aidan Cosgrove; Conor Dunleavy, Jack Carney; Ethan Henry, Conor Reid, Connell Dempsey; Ultan O’Reilly, Frank Irwin, Jack Mahon. Subs: Paddy Heneghan for O’Reilly (30 ), Dylan Thornton (33 ) for Reid, Ewan Duffy for McHugh (40 ), Owen McHale for Cosgrove (51 ), Rory Morrin for Mahon (53 )
Roscommon: Conor Carroll; Conor Lohan, Colin Walsh, Dylan Gaughan; Patrick Gavin, Tomas Crean, Cian Glennon; Keith Doyle, Ronan Garvin; Robbie Dolan, James Fitzpatrick, Daire Cregg; Ben O’Carroll, Adam McDermott, Darragh Heneghan. Subs: Ruaidhrí Fallon for Garvin (30 ), Jason Doory for Heneghan (38 ), Jack Lohan for Glennon (47 ), David Wynne for Crean (47 ), Sean Trundle for McDermott (58 )
Referee: Thomas Murphy (Galway )
