Alan Judge fired in a dramatic late winner to clinch the Republic of Ireland a 2-1 win over the United States in John O'Shea's final international appearance.
Substitute Judge swept home just over a minute after stepping off the bench to seal the come-from-behind victory after Graham Burke’s maiden international goal had levelled matters.
Shamrock Rovers striker Burke's 57th-minute strike cancelled out Bobby Wood’s first-half opener and set the stage for Judge to secure a fitting farewell for O'Shea.
The 37-year-old had exited in the 35th minute after winning his 118th cap - and it looked as though it would end in disappointment when Wood prodded home on the stroke of half-time.
But, in their first game at Aviva Stadium since the heartbreak of the World Cup qualifying implosion against Denmark, the two second-half strikes went some way to erasing the memories of their play-off disappointment on home soil.
They also served to end a youthful USA's four-game unbeaten run, though the visitors struggled to create too many opportunities in the absence of Borussia Dortmund star Christian Pulisic.
After two years out of action following a broken leg, this is what it means! Well done, Alan Judge! June 2, 2018
O'Shea almost marked his swansong with a rare goal when he glanced a header wide of the far post from a Jeff Hendrick corner early in proceedings.
Untroubled on that occasion, Bill Hamid was forced into his first real piece of work in the 20th minute as he batted away a swerving James McClean effort, before a Tyler Adams strike at the other end was deflected over by team-mate Rubio Rubin.
Colin Doyle, at fault for France's second in a 2-0 defeat in Paris on Monday, comfortably held a low Jorge Villafana drive just beyond the half-hour and that provided O'Shea's cue for an early exit, the former Manchester United man briefly soaking up the applause before making way for debutant Darragh Lenihan.
Seamus Coleman spurned a chance to break the deadlock when he screwed wide following a Hamid fumble and the full-back was immediately made to pay for the miss, Wood prodding home Matt Miazga's looping header as a free-kick proved Ireland's undoing on the stroke of half-time.
The lead would only last 12 minutes after the restart with Burke scrambling home at close range after Lenihan nodded down a cross at the far post.
Graham Burke celebrates his first goal for Ireland ! June 2, 2018
The equalising goal proved the catalyst for a more open period of play; Jon Walters first curled agonisingly wide of the upright from inside the area before Timothy Weah, a scorer in USA's 3-0 win over Bolivia on Monday, blazed over when afforded both time and space in the 65th minute.
It appeared the game would end all-square until Judge’s last-gasp intervention, the Brentford midfielder wasting no time in making an impact on proceedings when firing in off the underside of the bar after the ball broke kindly following McClean’s determined dribble into the box.
Judge's maiden goal for his country gave O'Shea the final verdict he must have hoped for, while also ending a four-game winless run for Ireland dating back to their 1-0 triumph over Wales last October.
