CONNACHT SEMI-FINAL Mayo 3-18 Roscommon 0-7:THERE WAS a surreal atmosphere at McHale Park, Castlebar on Saturday evening where a new-look Mayo team resembled the Park itself, under serious reconstruction and likely to be magnificent when, and if, fully complete.

Mayo went into this Connacht semi-final as strong favourites but nobody anticipated a Roscommon blow-out, the visitors beaten into submission in every sector after just 20 minutes by which time Mayo had amassed 3-8 and Roscommon were hopelessly at sea and without a score.

Mayo manager John O’Mahony, tried to be as gracious as ever in explaining why this game was over so soon. “We went in with a plan and it worked. Our big men inside got very good ball but it was the support and the work of the entire team which really impressed me today. It was a lot easier than we had planned for. We had thought we were in for a battle but I suppose we got a good start. We took our chances, the goal chances in particular and Roscommon had a couple. Kenneth O’Malley made a save from one of them.”

Fergal O’Donnell is only in the embryonic stage of his senior managerial career but not even he could have envisaged the devastation that could be inflicted on his young side, the gap between Division Three and Division One of the league ruthlessly exposed.

“We just weren’t at the races. We said it all along that it was a work in progress but we didn’t think that we would be this far off the mark and it is disappointing for our supporters. We have to look at ourselves, the management, we put the team out there,” he said.

Mayo, in front of a crowd of 15,689, toyed with the opposition at times in a game that had died before the second half as Mayo sat on an interval lead of 3-10 to 0-1.

Fears over how the Roscommon’s full-back line would cope with Mayo’s strength up front were soon realised as Aidan Kilcoyne slotted home for the first of three first-half goals after just four minutes.

It was the first high ball test for Roscommon and they failed it spectacularly, the delivery from Trevor Mortimer dropping between two Roscommon defenders and Barry Moran and into the basket of Aidan O’Shea who slipped it to the unmarked Kilcoyne and the fisted signal to the audience after a clinical finish was a sign of what was to come.

On 12 minutes Mayo carved open Roscommon again and the penalty awarded for a challenge on Donal Vaughan by John Nolan as he was about to shoot for goal was punished by Pat Harte.

However, Mayo’s third goal on 23 minutes was perhaps their most sublime, a sweeping attack started by Andy Moran and involving David Heaney and Alan Dillon finished with a rocket to the net from the teenager O’Shea who had just completed his Leaving Cert the previous day.

Roscommon might even have lived with the goals but points from Kilcoyne (from play and two 45s, Dillon (two), Trevor Mortimer, Peadar Gardiner and Ronan McGarrity was turning this into an embarrassing procession.

There was brief respite for Roscommon when Conor Devaney landed the first and only score of the half from a free on 26 minutes and, in fairness, they could have had a goal or two themselves, the best chance falling to corner back Paul Kelly who forced a good save from Kenneth O’Malley while Cathal McHugh hit the side netting with a screamer.

Mayo went through the motions as the game fizzled out, three unanswered points from Andy Moran, McGarrity and Harte inside five minutes of the restart indicating no inspiration had been found in the Roscommon dressingroom despite the commendable efforts of Gary Cox, Karol Mannion and Brian Higgins all of whom scored.

MAYO: K O’Malley, D Vaughan, G Cafferkey, K Higgins, P Gardiner (0-2), T Howley, A Moran (0-1), D Heaney, R McGarrity (0-2), P Harte (1-1, one pen), T Mortimer (0-2), A Dillon (0-6, three frees), A Kilcoyne (1-3, two 45s), B Moran, A O’Shea (1-0). Subs: T Parson for Heaney (62 mins), C Mortimer for Kilcoyne (66 mins), K McLoughlin for Vaughan (66 mins), M Ronaldson (0-1) for Dillon (64 mins), BJ Padden for Dillon (68 mins).

ROSCOMMON: G Claffey, P Domican, J Nolan, P Kelly; S McDermott, D Flynn, D Casey; M Finneran, B Higgins (0-1), G Cox (0-2), K Mannion (0-1), D Shine (0-1, one free); C Devaney (0-2, two frees), C McHugh, J Dunning. Subs: P Gleeson for Flynn (40 mins ), J McKeague for Kelly (51 mins), F Cregg for Finneran (51 mins), D O’Gara for McHugh (60 mins), P Duignan for Nolan (60 mins).

Referee: B Crowe (Cavan).