It was the Green and Red who had the dream start after 49 seconds. Corner-back Conor Coghill turned the ball over in the middle of the field, he played in Andrew Quinn and the corner-forward thundered his shot into the top corner of the net.
Armagh should have levelled after a long ball in to Daithi O’Callaghan but his shot on the edge of the square cannoned off the woodwork.
A brilliant free 30 metres out from near the sideline by Kobe McDonald extended Mayo’s lead before Eoin Duffy got Armagh up and running from a placed ball on 10 minutes.
Loughran and McDonald exchanged scores before Armagh hit three on the spin through Eoin Duffy, Diarmaid O’Rourke and a Duffy mark to draw level, while Fionn Toale saw another big goal chance crash off the crossbar.
Oisin Deane stopped the rot for Mayo but Armagh finished the half strongly through another O’Rourke point and one from James McCooe. McDonald’s third point on 24 minutes levelled it and that’s the way it would stay until half-time, 1-4 to 0-7, but Armagh were dominating all aspects and only one winner was looking likely.
Six points on the spin through Loughran (three), Duffy, O’Callaghan and Toale had the Ulster side in full control and they would see the second half out with relative ease.
A stunned Mayo would score only two points in the second half but chances of a second goal never looked likely, and a pair of points by Aaron Garvey and one from O’Callaghan capped off a wonderful display for Armagh.
They will meet Derry in the All-Ireland final, a side they have lost to twice already this season.
Scorers – Armagh: E Duffy (1f, 1m) and S Loughran 0-4 each, D O’Rourke, D O’Callaghan and A Garvey 0-2 each, J McCooe and F Toale 0-1 each.
Scorers – Mayo: A Quinn 1-0, K McDonald 0-3 (2f), O Deane 0-2, J O’Malley 0-1.
Armagh: M Finnerty; T Fox, G O’Rourke, C Wilson; F Toole, S Woods, D O’Rourke; J Loughran, D O’Callaghan; R Marsden, J McCooe, K McEntee; F Toale, E Duffy, S Loughran.
Subs: A Garvey (for Marsden 38); O Cribben (for D O’Rourke 50); A McGrane (for Toale 57); D McGee (for G O’Rourke 60+3).
Mayo: N Roddy; C Coghill, T Hession, D Butler; D Hurley, M Noonan, M Sheerin; J Moyles, O Loughney; H McHale, K McDonald, D Flynn; B Langan, O Deane, A Quinn.
Subs: C Kavanagh (for Loughney 27); J Forry (for Sheerin ht); E Walsh (for McHale 41); J O’Malley (for Quinn 41); F O Cinnseala (for Langan 57). Referee: J Hayes (Limerick)
