Results elsewhere decided each team's league fate, as Mayo were comfortable winners over Louth in Darver.
The hosts managed to hang on to their league status, despite suffering a 20-point loss, as relegated Fermanagh lost out to Armagh. However, Mayo didn't get the promotion semi-final they were hoping for due to other results not going their way.
Before knowing how the table would settle, Mayo had to ensure they didn't suffer a loss that would see them relegated instead of Fermanagh. Therefore, they were focused and on their game on the pitch making sure they held up their end of the bargain.
Louth initially led and had the better of the early stages, but when Adrian Philips broke through their defence in the 21st minute for the first of five goals Mayo netted, they never looked back. Eoin Delaney quickly added a goal, and just before half-time, Phillips finished off a fine move from Bobby Douglas's short puck-out. Conor Murphy, Aaron McGuinness Smith, and Darren Geoghegan added three points for Louth, but they trailed 3-5 to 0-9 at the turn.
In the second half, Cormac Phillips made up for some earlier wayward shooting to score eight points and extend Mayo's lead out even more. Delaney scored his second goal after a mistake in the Louth backline to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Mayo finished strong, scoring the last 1-7 of the match, with substitute Mikey Farrell contributing two fine scores and Joe McManus adding the final goal.
Mayo will be disappointed that they haven't made it into the promotion play-offs, but will refocus now for the Christy Ring Cup which will be coming up over the weekend of April 15/16 with Mayo on the road against Meath in the first round - in what will be a tough test for last year's beaten finalists.
