Two cracking goals from Cormac Bane, struck after 2 and 19 minutes, guided the Tribesmen to a telling 2-5 to 0-5 interval lead.

Mayo played poorly, scoring only two times from play in the entire 70 minutes, with Conor Mortimer hitting six frees.

Mortimer did hit the woodwork with a goal chance at the start of the second half that could have turned the game, but not even the long-awaited comeback of Ciaran McDonald, who came on as a second half substitute, could inspire John O'Mahony's men.

The win, watched by 24,387 spectators, sees Galway move on to play either London or Leitrim in a June 24 semi-final, while Mayo have seven weeks to wait before entering the qualifiers.

In what was the rival counties' sixth championship encounter in as many years, Galway got off to a fantastic start, playing with the wind at their backs.

The 22-year-old Bane brilliantly cut past Kenneth O'Malley to fire home his first goal after an excellent through ball from Niall Coleman.

Derek Savage tagged on a point but Galway's shooting let them down in the opening five minutes as the normally reliable Padraig Joyce, Ja Fallon and Colman hit a succession of wides.

A towering point from play from Andy Moran and Mortimer's first free opened Mayo's account, but with Galway's defensive line in superb form, the defending champions were getting little change around the forty and beyond.

Nicky Joyce split the posts on 15 minutes to nudge Galway 1-2 to 0-2 ahead and five minutes later, Peter Ford's players were celebrating a second major from Bane who rocketed a shot to the Mayo net, after good work from Nicky Joyce and Michael Meehan.

Galway kept a firm grip of their six-point cushion leading up to half-time, with the very effective Nicky Joyce (0-2) and Michael Meehan trading scores with Mortimer (0-2) and Dillon.

The introduction of the bustling David Brady just before the break did inspire Mayo for a short time, and the league finalists almost made a dream start to the second period.

Within 30 seconds of the restart, Mortimer was worked into space but the DCU student's side-footed shot bounced back off the upright and Galway regrouped to clear the danger.

That was a key moment - a goal then and with the wind behind them, Mayo could have gone on to seriously trouble Galway's lead.

Against the elements, Joe Bergin really came into his own and foraged and carried forward with ease as Galway comfortably saw out the win.

McDonald was thrown on, making his first appearance of the season after persistent back problems, but his lack of match practice was evident as his link-up play and free-taking was way off his 2004 vintage.

Too much may have been expected of Mayo's blonde bombshells - Mortimer failed to score from play, with Damien Burke doing an excellent man-marking job on him, and McDonald was largely anonymous.

O'Mahony also strangely brought off Dillon, who had been one of his side's better players, in favour of Austin O'Malley.

Mayo's hopes of a revival took a serious hit, ten minutes into the second half, when midfielder Pat Harte received his marching orders after earning his second yellow card for leading with his elbow when challenging Michael Meehan.

The game petered out over the closing 25 minutes, with the dip in quality doing little in the way of advertising Connacht football.

Bane took his tally to 2-1 with a lovely right-footed score, bent into the wind, and Galway were reduced to 14 men on the hour mark when Coleman, who turned 22 today, was sent off for his second bookable offence.

Thereafter, Padraig Joyce opened his account for the day, firing over a close-in free, and Mortimer sent over two meaningless frees at the other end as Mayo, who hit only three wides to Galway's nine, lost their grip on the Connacht title in disappointing fashion.

GALWAY: P Doherty; K Fitzgerald, F Hanley, D Burke; D Meehan, N Coyne, M Comer; J Bergin, N Coleman (0-1); J Fallon, M Meehan (0-1, f), N Joyce (0-3, 1f); D Savage (0-2), P Joyce (0-2, 1f), C Bane (2-1).

Subs used: D Blake for Coyne (14 mins), G Sice for Hanley (65), B Cullinane for Fallon (70), M Clancy for Bane (71), F Breathnach for Savage (70+2).

MAYO: K O'Malley; L O'Malley, D Heaney, P Gardiner; E Devenney, K Higgins, BJ Padden; P Harte, J Nallen; T Mortimer, K O'Neill, A Dillon (0-2, 1f); C Mortimer (0-6, 6f), G Brady, A Moran (0-1).

Subs used: D Brady for Devenney (27 mins), A Higgins for Gardiner (34), C McDonald for O'Neill (43), T Howley for T Mortimer (49), A O'Malley for Dillon (57).

Referee: Joe McQuillan (Cavan)