MAYO...0-16 Tyrone...1-9: The day that comes to all champions dawned for Tyrone on Saturday. They applied themselves and did the things they have always done during their remorseless ascent but the day arrived when they couldn't perform to quite the same intensity and, crucially, bumped into the wrong team.

Mayo hit the ground running in front of the 56,310 attendance. They got two early wides out of their system and established a grip on the scoreboard, which they relinquished only once.

A relatively meagre two points up at half-time, 0-9 to 0-7, they maintained their composure through a rocky third quarter and closed out the match.

Throughout this year manager Mickey Harte has spoken about the need to get back that integral intensity and recently Tyrone had looked to be on the right track.

The idea that Mayo would be the team to derail them wasn't widely popular because, despite the Connacht champions' undoubted qualities, doubts hovered over their ability to dictate the terms of engagement.

Harte said afterwards his side hadn't played badly but had simply come up against a better team. He identified Mayo's energy as the key factor and that was the game's most obvious determinant.

For Mayo manager John Maughan the match was hugely satisfying. A decade ago he came within touching distance of bringing home an All-Ireland and when the failures were analysed, a lack of fire-power up front was generally diagnosed.

Now things appear to have changed to the extent that Mayo's attack is better than the defence, a rare state of affairs in the county. David Heaney, man of the match against Galway, struggled with Stephen O'Neill.

Peter Burke's kick-outs were at times erratic and captain Fergal Costello was replaced in the first half. Against that Peadar Gardiner and James Nallen were calm and considered throughout and the team survived.

Maughan had been confident about prospects all week, freely predicting success. Such bullishness has become increasingly popular among mentors and in the process slightly discredited but the Mayo manager does it sparingly and not without good reason.

His latest success hinged on a few factors. The team had to start well - an early Tyrone blitz would surely have taxed the inexperienced team beyond endurance. They also had to have the nerve to stick to their strengths and, just as importantly, had to impact on their opponents' formidable game plan.

Saturday reminded everyone once again that history is a continuum. No one has patented tactics guaranteed to bring success. The widespread lament about the style of play that has brought success to Armagh and Tyrone often failed to take account of this inevitable progression.

Mayo were just too quick for the champions. They moved the ball confidently - at times too confidently in defence - quickly and effectively. Their shooting was uninhibited and accurate.

The defining statistic in the change in Mayo's fortunes has to be the number of wides: two in each half. Alan Dillon was named RTÉ's man of the match after a flawless display of six from six attempts but the whole attack - apart from Kieran McDonald's late rush of blood that accounted for half the wides - was intelligent in its shots selection and efficient in their conversion.

McDonald was, however, a central figure. His controversial comings and goings have been a source of weary resignation to Mayo managers over the years.

Injuries have further disrupted his career and at times he hasn't done his talent justice but since his return to the panel last April there has been a difference.

Sources in the county say he has been extraordinarily intense and driven and, despite a quiet third quarter, that was evident on Saturday. His distribution was top class and included one glorious, curved pass off the outside of his boot to find Dillon on the right wing and set up a score for David Brady.

One of his less heralded attributes is his strength and every time he got in front of his man possession was guaranteed despite any amount of buffeting and jostling.

Tyrone's anxieties surfaced quickly. Peter Canavan was sent in with almost unseemly haste in the 23rd minute to steady the ship and allow CiaráGourley, who started instead of the injured Brian McGuigan, relieve Shane Sweeney at centre back from the torment of McDonald. Gourley tightened up but the Mayo centre forward was already in business.

On the inside Trevor Mortimer was also causing consternation, winning possession and taking on the defence. His marker Conor Gormley was replaced after a freak accident in which a dropping ball landed on his face. Mortimer undermined his good work by poor distribution but his work was a major contribution.

His brother Conor played well in bursts, battling away against tight marking and creating a number of openings. But when he opted for a fisted point in the 44th minute after James Gill's break made a goal opportunity, Mayo had immediate cause to regret such caution. Within a minute Stephen O'Neill, Tyrone's best player, had scored a super goal to level the match at 0-12 to 1-9.

The champions didn't score again but they hit the woodwork three times, strengthening the growing suspicion that it wasn't going to be their day.

Another important achievement in Mayo's performance was how they coped with Seán Cavanagh. Tyrone's influential centrefielder was enthusiastically marked by Ronan McGarrity and double-tracked by James Gill.

Although Cavanagh still got free he didn't do the customary damage and Mayo built a solid platform in the middle.

Brady had a great match, bringing the traditional virtues of fielding and physical strength to the area and kicking three points from play into the bargain.

His third point pushed Mayo three points ahead just past the hour and although Maughan admitted he had been worried about the possibility of a snap goal snatching away the match, Tyrone looked drained and Dillon signed off going into injury time with the final point for victory on a momentous day.

MAYO: 1 P Burke; 3 D Heaney, 4 G Ruane, 2 C Moran; 7 F Costello, 6 J Nallen, 5 P Gardiner; 8 R McGarrity (0-1), 9 D Brady (0-3); 10 J Gill, 11 K McDonald (0-1, free), 12 A Dillon (0-6, four frees); 13 C Mortimer (0-3, one free), 14 T Mortimer (0-2), 15 B Maloney. Subs: 17 P Kelly for Costello (36 mins), 27 A Moran for C Mortimer (61 mins), 20 D Sweeney for Heaney (64 mins), 28 A O'Malley for Maloney (70 mins).

TYRONE: 1 P McConnell; 2 R McMenamin, 31 C Gormley, 4 M McGee; 5 J McMahon, 6 S Sweeney, 7 P Jordan; 8 K Hughes, 9 S Cavanagh; 10 B Dooher, 12 G Cavlan (0-1), 23 C Gourley; 13 M Harte (0-1, free), 14 O Mulligan (0-3, free), 15 S O'Neill (1-3). Subs: 18 D Carlin for Gormley (17 mins), 17 P Canavan (0-1) for Sweeney (23 mins), 11 B McGuigan for Harte (55 mins), 26 C McCullagh for McGee (66 mins).

Referee: P Russell (Tipperary).