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It was a case of third time lucky for Padraic Joyce, who won his first Connacht final as the Galway senior manager on Sunday in Pearse Stadium.

For the first time since 2015 Mayo are preparing for a Connacht Senior Football Championship Final.

Mayo's strong offensive showing where Kevin McLoughlin and Fergal Boland excelled in the final round of the league against Monaghan, was enough to secure a final showdown with Kerry after Mickey Harte's Tyrone did us a huge favour in Omagh, turning a seven point deficit against Galway into a seven point win.

Michael Ryan stepped down as Westmeath manager following Saturday's 2-21 to 0-16 All Ireland SHC Preliminary Quarter-Final defeat against Wexford at TEG Cusack Park, Mullingar.

“Mayo football is in a critical state,” “the players are finished,” “the management aren't up to it,” “I hope Roscommon beat us to put us out of our misery.” They are just a small example of what I listened to last week in the build up to the replay against Roscommon. Fast forward three days and the Mayo for Sam bandwagon is in full swing. “That was Mayo's best performance in Croke Park,” “This is the strongest squad Mayo have ever had,” “every player played well,” “Rochford is a tactical genius,” “I think we'll win the All-Ireland this year.”

When 15 minutes before throw in, it was announced that Footballer of the Year - Lee Keegan wouldn’t be starting there was an air of fear amongst the Mayo supporters who made the pilgrimage back to Croke Park on Bank Holiday Monday. But once the ball was thrown in that unease was soon vanquished as Mayo went right at Roscommon and rolled them over in impressive style at the second time of asking.

They don’t make it easy on the faithful, but the Mayo congregation will head to church at least once more this summer after a dramatic draw with near neighbours Roscommon on Sunday in Croke Park. There were more than a few decades of the Rosary said by the traveling worshipers down the final few minutes of injury time as Mayo created and fluffed a few chances to win the game and the devotions were dedicated to the full time whistle blowing when Roscommon looked to steal it right at the end.

A first Connacht title in seven years ensures 2017 will be fondly remembered in Roscommon, but Sunday’s Croke Park clash against Mayo promises to be interesting.

In my final paragraph on these pages last Thursday I said that if Galway were "absolutely focused, and went out and performed to their utmost capabilities, then they should be good enough to beat Roscommon."