Mayo booked a Connacht Football Final clash against Roscommon after overcoming Galway by 1-12 to 1-06 in McHale Park in Castlebar.
Trailing 1-05 to 0-04 at half-time after a first half of errors and general poor quality, Mayo were much improved in the second half.
Points from Alan Dillon, Alan Freeman, Cillian O'Connor and Kevin McLoughlin brought the sides level, before a Freeman goal and an inspirational point from substitute Ronan McGarrity pushed Mayo towards the Connacht showpiece.
Galway only managed a solitary point - from Eoin Concannon - in the second half.
Tomás Ó Flatharta's side made little use of the wind in the opening half as both sides struggled to come to terms with the wet conditions.
Points from Cormac Bane, Gareth Bradshaw and Padraic Joyce, and a goal from Paul Conroy two minutes before the break - finishing low to the net after Mayo failed to deal with a long Gary Sice delivery - gave the Tribesmen a four-point lead at half-time.
Mayo’s top scorer in the opening half was their goalkeeper Robert Hennelly, who took over the freetaking duties after Alan Dillon failed to find the range.
Hennelly landed a brace and came up short with three more as the crowd of 19,375 finally got something to cheer about.
Hennelly could do little to prevent Conroy’s low finish to the net, but Galway goalkeeper Adrian Faherty also showed his kicking prowess to come forward and drive a 45 into the teeth of the wind in the second-half but it sailed wide.
Mayo upped the tempo after the restart and five points without reply from Dillon, Freeman, O’Connor, McLoughlin and Andy Moran edged them in front after 49 minutes.
Galway’s only score of the second-half came after 54 minutes when Eoin Concannon blasted a goal chance over the bar after being set up by Joyce.
Galway keeper Faherty did well to deny Freeman after 55 minutes but he was unable to stop the crucial score of the game two minutes later when Freeman soloed through and drilled to the net.
Galway, despite introducing Michael Meehan, never looked like recovering and Freeman put four between them six minutes from the end.
They secured their place in the Connacht final as subs Ronan McGarrity and Enda Varley landed superb points to turn the screw.
Mayo will now meet Roscommon in the Connacht final at Hyde Park on July 17 — the first time they have met in the final since 2004.
Mayo scorers: A Freeman 1-02, R Hennelly 0-02 (1f, 1 45), T Mortimer, K McLoughlin, A Dillon (1f), A Moran, C O’Connor, J Doherty, R McGarrity and E Varley 0-01 each.
Galway scorers: C Bane 0-04 (3f), P Conroy 1-00, P Joyce 0-01, E Concannon 0-01.
Mayo: R Hennelly; T Cunniffe, A Feeney, K Higgins; R Feeney, D Vaughan, T Mortimer; S O’Shea (R McGarrity 62), A O’Shea; K McLoughlin (P Gardiner 70), A Dillon (capt), A Moran; C O’Connor (E Varley 64), A Freeman, J Doherty.
Galway: A Faherty; A Burke, C Forde, J Duane; G O’Donnell, G Higgins, G Sice (D Cummins 67); J Bergin, F Hanley (capt); E Concannon, M Hehir (D Blake 45), G Bradshaw; P Joyce, P Conroy (M Clancy 50), C Bane (M Meehan 56).
Attendance: 19,375
Referee: Rory Hickey (Clare)
