John Maughan completed an exhaustive round of radio interviews and reflected on his team's best result since defeating Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final three years ago. In his four years as manager, his team has won two matches in Tuam - a venue where Mayo hadn't previously known success since 1951.

"I'm absolutely thrilled to bits," he said. "It's a great place to win a Connacht championship. I'm delighted for the lads. We've taken a bit of stick in the press and even locally after failing in '96 and '97 and losing the first round last year. The players showed great resilience.

"There were mistakes made on both sides but we stuck at it and were able to call on Pat Fallon and Kieran McDonald to turn the tide. We deliberately kept the team fresh this year and only togged out once this week. We were quite fit, and, in the last 15 or 20 minutes, we looked strong. They've had a long winter as All-Ireland champions and we had a bit of hunger today."

He wasn't sure whether the wet weather suited his team, but he was convinced that they had to think it did.

"Whether the weather suits you or not, you have to make the best of it. I know John Casey might prefer it dry because of his pace and that. James Nallen might prefer a drier ball. But I went to them and said, `These conditions suit you guys'."

His opposite number, John O'Mahony, who had the bittersweet experience of leading Galway to victory over his own county last year, presumably found this year more bitter than sweet. But his diplomatic guard wasn't slipping.

"No excuses. The better team won. I'd like to wholeheartedly congratulate Mayo. Last year I thanked them for the two years they'd put in for Connacht football. This time I went in to wish them the best and told them to make sure and keep Sam Maguire this side of the Shannon.

"I haven't had time to analyse it, but at the beginning of the second half we had a few chances to put them away and didn't take them. I think we only scored a point in the second half and I suppose that's analysis enough.

"I suppose this word hunger comes to mind. They looked hungrier. And with Gary's (Fahy, full back) injury and John Divilly's car accident, we were up against it. I only got worried when the final whistle went. I was worried that we weren't playing well in the second half, but I always felt there was a fight-back in us."

Typifying Mayo's spirit was David Nestor's snappish performance. If some around the county felt that Kieran McDonald should have been in from the start, Nestor was determined to prove he was there on merit. His 28th-minute goal was a crucial blow for Mayo.

"I sort of had an apparition as I was running in. I'd a funny feeling it was going to hit someone's hand and pop into my hand. I kept running and it came down. I don't know whether it was James Horan or the full back who got the touch, but it bounced lovely and I remember just looking at the O'Neill's logo and hitting it as hard as I could.

"Last year, when I had a similar chance, Martin Mac pulled off a massive save. If he'd done that today, who knows what would have happened."