Mayo manager Kevin McStay felt his side's performance was "patchy" after they were edged out by Galway at the death in a dramatic Connacht decider in Pearse Stadium.
Seeking a first Connacht title of his reign, McStay's team led by two points entering five minutes of injury-time, however a trio of frees, the last of them converted into the wind from beyond the 45 metre line by goalkeeper Connor Gleeson saw them pipped at the post.
Afterwards, McStay admitted that he felt the visitors were largely in control for much of the contest but regretted that they were unable to push their lead out beyond three points at any stage.
"It was a fantastic effort by Galway to get back into it. Playing against a bit of a breeze, you’d have to commend their efforts at the end.
"We’re very disappointed. We really set our stall out to win the championship this year, but we have to bow the knee to Galway on this occasion.
"[It was] patchy. There were periods when we looked quite good. We could never get it to four [points ahead], there was never a flow to our game, I felt.
"If we could have got it to four or five, I feel we maybe would have left a bit of a gap but we never got it to that."
Mayo had the better of the possession stakes - including hoarding the ball for a whopping 66% of the first half, but struggled to engineer enough high-percentage scoring chances against a densely packed Galway defence.
"That's the modern game. We practice religiously for these 13 man defences," McStay said. "It did well for Galway, why wouldn't they?
"And then up front, Comer and Finnerty were fairly tasty. So well done to them. They deserved it in the end."
"I imagine ye understand that the idea that somebody was going to get into a different group there was ludicrous."
Beyond missing out on the Nestor Cup, the loss means Mayo enter Group 2 of the All-Ireland group phase, alongside Roscommon, Cavan and the Leinster champions, which, barring of shock of gargantuan proportions, is expected to be Dublin.
There had been much hand-wringing over the staging of the draw prior to the provincial championships, with the perception that a tougher group draw awaited today's winners.
Galway now enter a group with Pot 3 sharks Derry and the Ulster runners-up (Donegal or Armagh), with Westmeath as fourth seed.
Despite the narrative, McStay was at pains to rubbish the suggestion that either team went to Salthill with intention of avoiding Group 1.
"I imagine ye understand that the idea that somebody was going to get into a different group there was ludicrous," McStay said. "Because both teams so badly wanted to win the (Connacht) championship.
"We'll reflect on it now tonight and see where we are. But we weren't doing that during the week, I assure you. We were here to win the cup.
"We have a lot ahead of us. We're going to go home and lick our wounds and get ready for a game in two weeks' time."
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