At half-time in Carrick-on-Shannon there was sunny talk of an unlikely rebirth in the quiet county. Christopher Carroll had hammered home an opportunist's goal for Leitrim in the ebbing minutes of the first period and the two sides retreated to the dressing-room level, 1-3 to 0-6.

The opening sequences of the second half, though, highlighted why Roscommon are being tentatively tipped for western silverware while Leitrim find themselves enduring another lean summer. Roscommon simply began pulling the trigger, firing points with loose-limbed confidence. Gay Sheerin instructed Lorcan Dowd and Frankie Dolan to spearhead a two-pronged attack and between them they whipped over five second-half points (three from Dolan) that had the sizeable visiting contingent drooling.

Roscommon blitzed the home team after the restart, with Conor Connelly linking with Frankie Grehan and chipping a score before Lorcan Dowd found himself in splendid isolation and casually collected the ball to thump over another.

Another Leitrim attack broke down in the last third of the pitch and Roscommon steamed forward with startling directness again; Ross O'Callaghan lobbed a pass to Dowd who blasted accurately on the turn. The promising Jason Ward robbed a ball to nail a point from 40 metres for Leitrim after 44 minutes but Roscommon were in freeflow, Dolan again beating Seamus Quinn to the ball and arcing another point.

Six minutes later, debutant midfielder Seamus Lohan sprinted along the wing and chipped another point to leave matters at 1-4 to 0-12 after 50 minutes.

Yet when Leitrim analyse this game, the memory of a plethora of missed frees will sting. Aidan Rooney, normally reliable, had a rough day with dead ball duties and efforts to recruit an adequate replacement proved futile.

His errant form seemed to spread throughout the forward unit as the match progressed; Brendan Guckian, Adrian Charles and Colin McGlynn each spurned the sorts of scores they've been hitting all their adult lives.

Leitrim also failed to capitalise on at least two occasions when they left the Roscommon back line flailing. Early on, persistently played long ball to Colin McGlynn, reinstated at full forward after a two-year sabbatical, had the visiting defenders flapping and Ciaran Murray snatched at a loose ball but hammered it straight at goalkeeper Derek Thompson after 19 minutes.

Leitrim eventually beat Thompson through another direct ball - an Aidan Rooney free fell short, Damien Donlon and Denis Gavin muddled the fetch and Carroll blasted home when the ball fell for him.

Once Roscommon had re-established their dominance so sweepingly in the second half, a home goal seemed to be a prerequisite if Leitrim were to retain any hopes of a result. Thing was, it never looked that unlikely a possibility.

Leitrim won more than their share of possession over the afternoon, with Ward and Paul McDermott making their athleticism felt and Colin Regan splaying plenty of ball forward. But although Aidan Charles showed for the ball tirelessly, Letrim's front men never got any rhythm going and they shot with lamentable profligacy.

The introduction of Fergal O'Donnell at half-time had an immense impact on the match. He replaced Derek Duggan, still ailing from a midweek bug, and instantly began to direct a stream of quality ball for the likes of Clifford McDonald, O'Callaghan and the elusive Connelly to build upon. O'Donnell also combined well with Frankie Grehan, who drifted outfield in the second half and was instrumental in a series of those devastating Roscommon attacks.

Leitrim, well, they were beaten convincingly but never looked out of their depth. Small inconsistencies betrayed them at crucial times and while they don't play with the same dash as Roscommon, they can at least begin to view their future with some optimism again.

Gay Sheerin continues to extract every ounce of good from this revitalised Roscommon force. They have a potentially dazzling forward line and the likes of Connelly, Dolan, Dowd and a fit Derek Duggan would brighten any June or July Sunday. Still some cobwebs to be brushed off their back lines and they have two weeks in which to do that.

They aren't quite the polished article yet, despite the expectation which now rips through the county. Their next outing, against Mayo, might well clarify whether there is an emerging new order in the west.