Bohemians began life without Keith Long by recalling the many great nights they enjoyed under him, finding their form again to prevail in an error-ridden derby against fierce rivals Shamrock Rovers.
Liam Burt's screamer with 18 minutes to go, followed Dylan Watts seeing red against his old club, as a strangely lethargic Rovers succumbed to a side whose confidence had seemed on the floor.
It gives Derry City a glimmer of belief they might yet catch Rovers – there are only four points between them – and there will be some concern for Stephen Bradley about this Rovers effort, in light of a massive few months ahead for the dominant force in the domestic game.
For Bohs, who are pretty much playing out the season in the league, this will do their self-belief no harm whatever, their eyes very much on an FAI Cup quarter-final against Shelbourne that is certain to be raucous.
This was and will be a difficult break-up for Bohs and Long, who was the second-longest serving manager in the league and really only had one bad season – this one – and even that has hardly been a shocking one.
Bohs' match programme spoke of "many great memories" under Long, acknowledging that "maybe it was time" for the Dubliner to depart – but a photo of him as manager was left in on page 12. It will be a shock to Long when somebody else appears as Bohs manager; for now, Derek Pender and Trevor Croly have shoulders to the wheel.
The opening ten minutes were waste-ridden and of a poor standard. Then Aaron Greene headed straight at Jon McCracken before Ali Coote did the same to Mannus, neither move laden with virtuosity.
Finally, just after the half-hour mark, some neat interplay from the Hoops, mainly involving Watts, whose effort was badly off target. A gorgeous, teasing Burt cross then cried out for a touch from Ethan Varian that failed to materialise.
Kris Twardek had been anonymous but produced some superb wing trickery with eight minutes to go and pulled it back only for Burt to fail to make the most of it, Bohs growing in belief.
Somehow, referee Rob Hennessy only gave the first yellow card in the second half. Ten minutes in, Twardek was lucky his wasn't red, with Ronan Finn making less of a poor challenge than others might have.
Dan Cleary joined the Canadian in the book shortly afterwards; the crowd was creeping into life.
The opener almost came via an unlikely source, a Rovers corner eventually concluding with Sean Hoare not quite connecting as he would have liked after a Rory Gaffney pull-back.
Hoare should have picked up a booking of his own for a late challenge before Tyreke Wilson kicked out at Dylan Watts, the second half notable for a scatter of yellow cards and disjointed football. Jack Byrne was key to the best play Rovers produced midway through but, consistent with the prevailing narrative, if came to nothing.
Watts saw another yellow, then red, with 20 minutes to go, having no complaints about this one as he pulled down Burt. Watts got a predictably hostile greeting as he left the pitch under the main stand.
Bohs were smelling blood by now and Burt ended a sustained spell of pressure from the hosts by curling into the top corner, leaving Mannus with zero chance.
Rovers' three substitutes all made a case that they should have started with 11 minutes to go as Aidomo Emakhu fed Neil Farrugia whose lovely flick invited Richie Towell's drive, which was always rising.
So was the noise in the Jodi Stand and the hopes of a Bohs contingent that have had little to cheer about in 2022. Long - but not forgotten.
Bohemians: McCracken; Doherty (Murphy 49), Feely, Kelly, Wilson; Levingston (McManus 84), Clarke; Twardek, Coote (McDaid 60), Burt (O'Sullivan 84); Varian.
Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Hoare, Cleary, Grace; Finn, O'Neill, Byrne, Watts, Lyons; Gaffney (Towell 74), Greene.
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Dublin)
