A SUBDUED atmosphere yesterday evening at McHale Park, Castlebar, told the story of this year's Railway Cup football final. Leinster's players and tiny following were generally satisfied at retaining their title and emphatically confirming their status as the outstanding province.

For Connacht, reflection was a lot more painful. Only two weeks after what had appeared a significant victory over Munster, the westerners found their first final in 11 years a depressing experience.

Hopes were high and the best attendance in over a decade turned out to support Connacht's bid for a first title since 1969. By the end of the afternoon, however, it was of questionable benefit that around 6,000 people had come along to witness a dismally one-sided match that served only to conjure again the spectres of inadequacy - apparently exorcised by the achievements of the last 12 months - which had hovered over football in the province.

Manager Martin Carney was dejected in the dressing room afterwards. The scarcity of the province's resources meant the selection of a number of players who weren't in good form and known not to be. Even so, the game plan had been blown before the throw-in, as Leinster won the toss and took advantage of a robust breeze which would otherwise have been integral to a whirlwind start for the home side.

Instead, Mattie Kerrigan's team got the opening momentum and never surrendered the lead or the initiative.

Both teams had made one switch, with Connacht captain Pat Holmes dropping out because of injury and his county colleague, Mayo's All-Ireland, captain Noel Connelly, stepping in.

Leinster's change was forced by Kevin O'Brien's failure to pass a fitness test, a problem that arose last Wednesday but wasn't announced because it was thought more diplomatic to keep under wraps the introduction of Meath's John McDermott, whose turbulent dealings with Liam McHale after last year's All-Ireland were felt likely to inflame the home support and to excite sordid media speculation.

The change made little difference to Leinster, who played with the cohesion and purpose of a side used to each other's company. There wasn't a sector on the pitch where they didn't have their opponents in trouble.

McDermott's selection allowed Seamus O'Hanlon to switch to the wing, where he exploited the greater freedom in a formidable Leinster half-forward line which played four across with Graham Geraghty dropping back from his notional corner position.

The most striking early contribution came from centre forward Brian Stynes. The Dubliner opened the scoring in the second minute and went on to involve himself liberally in the visitors' attacks, to the extent that, after 10 minutes, Damien Mitchell, who had done so well for Connacht in the semi-final, had to be switched off Stynes.

Roscommon's Enon Gavin didn't have markedly better luck, and it was only in the second half, when the twin inhibitions of James Nallen's reversion to his usual centre back slot and the fact that the match was over competitively, slowed down Stynes. Elsewhere, Kenneth Mortimer had the limited satisfaction of keeping Colin Kelly a little quieter than Ulster had managed in the semi-final.

In the middle, McDermott and Tony Maher gobbled everything. Nallen's previously successful conversion to midfield stopped working, and beside him Liam McHale posted another instalment of his recent flat form.

The idea of using Colm McManamon as an extra mid-fielder never really came to anything. Deprived of the strict context in which his roving commission for Mayo takes place, he looked uncertain about where to position himself and this confusion allowed his marker, corner back Denis Lalor, to amble up the pitch for two first-half points.

Declan Darcy was Connacht's only scoring threat for most of the match as he switched from the 40 to full forward and kicked a couple of points from play. Niall Finnegan, the Galway corner forward, was the only other attacker to bother the umpires more than once, and his contribution ran out of steam after the interval.

Sligo's Eamonn O'Hara played a spirited role on the wing but was moved to midfield to try to shore up the operation there.

Leinster's defence was solid and alert. Amongst a supremely capable back six, Hugh Kenny played scrupulously well at full back.

The half-time score stood at 2-8 to 0-4. The first goal was a good example of Leinster's potency. Run by McDermott, Johnny McDonald, Glen Ryan and Maher, the move was finished to the net by Tommy Dowd in the 23rd minute. Five minutes later, Graham Geraghty was allowed to field the ball in the square, then twist- like a corkscrew before squeezing in a goal.