Shamrock Rovers celebrated their return to south Dublin with a 2-1 victory over Sligo Rovers at a wild and wintry Tallaght Stadium, writes Shane Murray.
Gary Twigg gave the hosts the lead when he turned and volleyed home from close range in the 18th minute.
The Hoops doubled their lead two minutes after the break when Ollie Cahill's superb run and cross down the left was turned home by Dessie Baker. Gavin Peers headed home late-on for the visitors, but the hosts were not to be denied in front of 3,500 revellers on a historic night for the club.
It looked like the vocal home support wouldn't have to wait long for the first goal in their new home as the Hoops started brightly and they broke through in the second minute. Shane Robinson picked the ball up in midfield and ran at the Sligo defence, before playing in Twigg, but he was ruled correctly offside after drilling the ball past Brush.
The home side, visibly buoyed by the large and colourful throngs in the impressive 3,500-seater stand, continued to impress in the early stages, and a dangerous ball in from right-back Simon Madden was just about cleared by the visitors.
Things settled down a little after that, and it was the 13th minute when Bradley turned superbly to get away from left-back Shaun Holmes, but his cross-come-shot fell straight into the arms of Sligo goalkeeper Richard Brush.
The first yellow card of the evening was produced in the 17th minute, when Sligo's Richie Ryan was cautioned by referee Alan Kelly for a foul on Bradley.
Bradley's subsequent free from the right was flicked on by Robinson for Stephen Rice and his header fell for Twigg, who turned and volleyed home from the left edge of the six-yard box.
The Bit o'Red's goal continued to lead a charmed life and a Rice header from a corner bounced narrowly over as Michael O'Neill's men pressed for a second.
Sligo midfielder Conor O'Grady was the second name in Kelly's book for a foul on Rice in the 22nd minute, and Sean Webb's header flashed wide from the resulting free.
The Hoops had a second goal deservedly ruled out when Twigg's finish was ruled out for a push on a Sligo defender in the 26th minute. .
The hosts threatened again in the 33rd minute but Bradley's central free from 30 yards out was excellently tipped over by Brush.
Paul Cook's men, who offered little going forward for most of the opening period, finally got into the game as the half drew to a close.
They earned their first corner of the game in the 38th minute following good probing from Boco, but it came to nothing as Murphy gathered under his crossbar.
Holmes did well to cut in from the left and square for Ryan two minutes later, but his shot from the edge of the box came back off Cretaro, who was loitering in an advanced position, and Shamrock Rovers cleared.
The home defence endured another nervous moment when Morrison's 42nd-minute free was whipped in from the left, only narrowly evading the heads of three Sligo players at the back post.
Sligo continued to press for an equaliser, with Morrison particularly prominent on the left, but his tendency to cut back onto his right foot, took some of the urgency out of the attacks he inspired.
In fact, the visitors produced the best move of the half just before the break, which culminated with Morrison's clever flick finding Cretaro and his shot was deflected behind for a corner.
However, the home side deservedly led 1-0 at the interval, but they emerged after the break intent on adding to their solitary first half goal.
Two minutes in, Robinson, who was at the heart of everything good for the Hoops, cut in from the right and drilled a shot which was palmed away superbly by Brush.
The Dubliners did double their lead four minutes later when Baker side-footed home from eight yards after Cahill's superb run and cross down the left.
Cook had seen enough and introduced Stephen Parkhouse and Eoin Torpey for the largely anonymous Brian Cash and the ineffectual Ryan.
That prompted a response from the visitors, and Webb had to react brilliantly to deny Cretaro running through on goal in the 61st minute.
A header back to Brush from Danny Ventre almost let Twigg in for his second of the night, but the Sligo 'keeper read the situation to gather.
Cretaro should have opened the account for the visitors when he stole in at the back post in the 73rd minute with Ian Bermingham caught napping, but the grateful Murphy mopped up his weak header.
Two minutes later Robinson tried his luck with another driven shot from 35 yards but Brush smothered comfortably.
Sligo did pull one back when Peers headed home unchallenged from close range following Morrison's left-wing cross in the 83rd minute to give the 150-strong travelling fans hope going into the final few minutes.
Substitute Torpey, who did well in the centre of midfield after his introduction, struck over two minutes later for the visitors as they pushed for an equaliser.
However, the lively Twigg went close with a speculative curler four minutes from time, before he left the field to a standing ovation with a minute to go.
That was the last significant action on an evening when Shamrock Rovers finally brought an end to 22 nomadic years; an occasion marked by emotion, nostalgia and colour, with many former greats in attendance on the historic opening of the impressive all-seater stand at the Tallaght venue.
Shamrock Rovers: 1 Barry Murphy, 2 Simon Madden, 3 Ian Bermingham, 5 Aidan Price, 6 Sean Webb [yc 49], 7 Shane Robinson (capt), 8 Stephen Rice [41 yc], 9 Gary Twigg (17 Greg Cameron 89 mins), 10 Stephen Bradley (19 Eoin Doyle 82 mins [yc 89]), 14 Ollie Cahill, 18 Dessie Baker (22 Tadhg Purcell 74 mins). Substitutes not used: 15 Corie Treacy, 16 Robert Duggan.
Sligo Rovers: 1 Richard Brush, 2 Jason Noctor (12 Paul McTiernan 79 mins), 3 Shaun Holmes, 4 Danny Ventre, 5 Gavin Peers, 6 Conor O'Grady [yc 23], 7 Brian Cash (14 Stephen Parkhouse 57 mins), 8 Richie Ryan [yc 17] (15 Eoin Torpey 57 mins), 9 Romuald Boco, 10 Rafael Cretaro, 11 Owen Morrison. Substitutes not used: 13 Steve Feeney, 17 Ciaran Kelly.
Referee: Alan Kelly.
