A HELTER SKELTER finish almost rescued this Connacht final between old rivals Mayo and Galway at Castlebar yesterday from obscurity. The fact remains, however, that although Connacht football may not be quite in a slumber as some people would believe, it can be said that it continues to doze.

To be fair to the players, it had to be admitted that the soft, soaking rain which started just as the match was about to begin made ball handling as tricky as fishing for trout with your fingers.

The soapy ball refused to respond with any predictability to the prompting of the contestants and contributed to an error ridden match, however satisfactory the outcome was for Mayo. The result was a relief for their players and supporters alike, for they were managing to beat Galway in a Connacht final for the first time since 1969, having lost at this stage on no fewer than six occasions since.

When the match is discussed at any length in the run up to the All Ireland semi final, it will be remembered for the four goals which stood out starkly in quality from the rest of an untidy match.

A number of players, too, will be spoken of and remembered notably Mayo's Liam McHale, James Nallen, John Kilraine, Ray Dempsey, Kevin Cahill, goalkeeper John Madden, and John Casey, and Galway's Alan Mulholland, Ian O'Donoghue Shea Walsh, Fergus O'Neill and Sean Og de Paor, as well as Austin Leonard, whose efforts to get the Galway attack moving were never less than wholehearted. Declan Meehan and Fergal O'Neill also played a significant part in the Galway effort.

It is fair to say that the level of fitness and commitment throughout by the two teams was never less than impressive, but that was not enough to raise any great enthusiasm, particularly among neutrals in a thoroughly soaked crowd estimated at 17,000.

Mayo, of course, will not quibble with the manner of their victory. They had gone into the match as outsiders mainly because of Galway's fine performance in last year's All Ireland semi final against Tyrone.

There was a time in the second half when it seemed that the early predictions about a Galway victory were about to come to pass. Galway had come from behind in order to draw level and then go ahead just after the break. Although they conceded a second goal, they drew level again towards the end of the match with only six minutes remaining.

Hopes were raised at this stage that they would get at least a draw, but a Ray Dempsey goal put paid to those hopes and Mayo had a spring in their step as they headed towards the finish.

Mayo played with a fairly strong breeze in the first half, but it was Galway who got a chance to open the scoring only for Shea Walsh to drive a free wide in the opening flurry. Maurice Sheridan then gave Galway warning of what was to come when he pointed a free in the sixth minute. As the teams struggled to come to terms with the slippery conditions John Casey added two point's from play with Walsh finally opening Galway's account with point from a free.

Then came Mayo's first goal. Anthony Finnerty did the running and when he flighted his pass perfectly into the path of Casey, the full forward finished the move perfectly.

Jarlath Fallon was quick to reply with a point and then Galway fans had their hearts in their mouths when Fallon struck a post and Meehan's shot was blocked before Fergal O'Neill managed to drive the ball through a thicket of defenders to bring Galway into the match with 20 minutes gone.

Mayo were being less than accurate with their attempts to score points and by half time had a mere two points to spare, having registered eight wides to Galway's three, with the score standing at 1-6 to 1-4.

After the break, with the wind behind them Galway scored three points without reply to take the lead at 1-7 to 1-6. But Mayo levelled quickly and then came their second goal. Dempsey was at the centre of a swift raid and as he tried to round Gary Fahy the Galway man was adjudged to have pulled him back and referee Francie Finan from Sligo signalled the penalty.

All that remained was for Sheridan to hit the kick with the kind of ease that many highly paid professionals in Euro 96 sought in vain to produce. Mayo seemed to be in charge again. Back came Galway, however, and frees by substitute Kevin Walsh and corner forward Niall Finnegan and a brilliantly taken point from play by Finnegan levelled the scores again at 2-7 to 1-10.

Mayo replied with a goal worthy of winning any match. Liam McHale hit a quick free to David Brady and the ball was transferred speedily and surprisingly skilfully in the conditions, through Finnerty to Dempsey, who drove it expertly to the net.

From that position Galway's chances of coming back could not have been regarded as anything but slim and so it proved to be.