Marvellous Mayo book their spot in the All-Ireland football final

A magnificent second-half performance from Mayo ensured their place in the All-Ireland final with a ruthless display against a rudderless Louth.

Andy Moran's outfit put the Wee County to the sword 3-23 to 0-15 in a semi-final that promised competitiveness for the guts of thirty minutes before dissolving into a second half procession.

The sides were level three times in a rollicking first half, yet each time Louth clawed parity back, Mayo found an answer.

Ciarán Downey's two-pointer on 14 minutes brought Louth level at 1-2 to 0-5 after an early green flag from Ryan O'Donoghue. The Belmullet ace restored daylight again before Ciarán Keenan pegged Mayo back again on 18 minutes, 1-4 to 0-8.

The third and most significant level came on 28 minutes, Conor Grimes's two-pointer from play squaring it at 1-8 to 0-11, a scoreline that held until the half-hour mark.

Mayo were struggling with the aerial dominace of the excellent Dara McDonnell at centre back for Louth but their resolve stood and they soon found favour.

That third level proved the last time Louth would see parity all day.

Paul Towey nudged Mayo back in front on 30 minutes, and two minutes later came the moment that gave the game its shape:

Darragh Beirne's well worked goal after a kick inside resulted in Sam Callinan laying it off for Beirne to finish emphatically and turn to salute the Hill.

That score, deep into first-half took Mayo from a one-point lead to a four-point cushion at the break, 2-9 to 0-11 - and it was from here that Mayo truly got their foothold in the game.

O'Donoghue finished the half with 1-5 to his name, having played into a strong breeze.

Louth never laid a glove on that lead again.

Mayo simply pulled away in the second half, with Kobe McDonald pulling strings from wherever he found himself and Conor Loftus's superb goal on 49 minutes - Tommy Conroy the provider after a fine Mayo turnover - the moment that turned a contest into an exhibition for the closing stages.

Louth, extraordinarily, went almost thirty minutes without a score either side of that spell, from Grimes's 28th minute two-pointer until Downey broke the drought on 56 minutes.

Cian McHale added polish off the bench, and David McBrien was immense throughout, his tackling and turnovers in the middle third the platform for Mayo's pace and width all afternoon.

For Louth, Ciaran Downey offered some late respectability with scores, but by then this was men against boys.

Mayo now turn their attention to All-Ireland final preparations; Louth, for all the promise of their first semi-final appearance since 1957, will point to a barren second-half stretch where they simply could not live with an electric Mayo attack.

Dublin and Kerry await Mayo, with the winners of Sunday's semi-final providing the opposition on July 27.

Mayo: Jack Livingstone; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Eoin McGreal; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Enda Hession; Bob Tuohy, Jack Carney; Stephen Coen, Paul Towey (0-1), Jordan Flynn (0-2, 1x2p); Darragh Beirne (1-2, 0-1f), Ryan O'Donoghue (1-11, 1x2p, 2x2pf, 0-3f), Kobe McDonald (0-4).

Subs: Tommy Conroy for P. Towey (HT), Conor Loftus (1-0) for S. Coen (42), Cian McHale (0-2) for D. Beirne (50), Fenton Kelly for E. McGreal (55), Matthew Ruane (0-1) for J. Flynn (62).

Louth: Niall McDonnell; Emmet Carolan, Donal McKenny, Daire Nally; Conal McKeever, Dara McDonnell (0-1), Craig Lennon; Conor Early, Ciaran Keenan (0-1); James Maguire, Sam Mulroy (0-2, 2x2pf), Conor Grimes (0-4, 1x2p); Kieran McArdle, Ciaran Downey (0-6, 1x2p), Ryan Burns.

Subs: Tadgh McDonnell for C. Lennon (23 inj.), Ciaran Byrne for C. Keenan (40), Tommy Durnin (0-1) for J. Maguire (46), Conall McCall for C. Grimes (53), Anthony WIlliams for C. McKeever (62).

Referee: David Coldrick (Meath)

* Man of the Match: Ryan O'Donoghue (Mayo)