It may be slightly forgotten with the shifting sands of time but Armenian football fans still feel a bitter taste when they think about the last time they faced Ireland.
It was back in the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign – the only time both nations have been drawn together.
Keith Fahey scored the only goal in the 2010 encounter in Yerevan but it's the second game in Dublin the following year that Armenia are hoping to right a few wrongs about when the Boys in Green visit their capital for the start of the UEFA Nations League campaign on Saturday (live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player).
A handball by former Ireland striker Simon Cox was followed by a sending off for then Armenia goalkeeper Roman Berezovsky by Spanish referee Eduardo Gonzalez midway through the first half for handling outside his box.
However replays showed the shot-stopper had not touched the ball with his hands.
Setanta Sports Eurasia's Armenian journalist and commentator Robert Gasparyan joined the RTÉ Soccer Podcast this week for an in-depth analysis of Ireland's opponents and explained how the controversial 2-1 defeat in 2011 was a blow at a time when the country was enjoying its best qualification campaign to date.
"I think that your fans when they come to Yerevan, they will see that the Armenia national team fans still remember that match. They want to have revenge, definitely," said Gasparyan, adding that vengeance will be in the form of some colourful displays from the main national team ultra group, the First Armenian Front.
A frustrated Berezovsky after his red card
But how well equipped are Armenia to exact some on-field retribution for the events of 11 years ago?
They will be without the greatest player in their history, Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The former Manchester United, Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund midfielder, who just won the UEFA Europa Conference League with Jose Mourinho's AS Roma, retired from international duty in March.
But surprisingly his status has divided opinion in his homeland, something which Gasparyan views as mind-boggling considering that none of his compatriots come close to matching his abilities and achievements even when he has not been in brilliant form.
"The public, fans and society divided into two groups: the ones who said 'Great (that he has retired) because he didn't play so well during these last matches and it's okay because he is 33,'" said Gasparyan of the sector that wants Armenia's Spanish manager Joaquin Caparros to give chances to younger players.
"The other side thought that Caparros made a huge mistake (and they think that) he should invite Mkhitaryan to the national team even if he had one foot because Mkhi with one foot is better than many, many players in Armenia."
You can watch Robert Gasparyan's full chat with Raf Diallo right here:
So without their talismanic playmaker and record goalscorer, who is left to carry Armenia's challenge for the two matches against Ireland as well as the other League B opponents Scotland and Ukraine?
Gasparyan cites Club Brugge striker Sargis Adamyan, midfielders Vahan Bichakhchyan and Eduard Spertsyan plus MLS-based forward Lucas Zelarayán as players Stephen Kenny and his Irish staff will be wise to keep an eye on.
But with or without the now-retired Mkhitaryan, he does not hold out much hope that Armenia will get anything out of Saturday's match or the Nations League group in general based on recent form.
Former Ireland striker David Connolly joined the main RTÉ Soccer Podcast this week to preview the Armenia game:
Armenia come into Saturday's encounter in Yerevan on the back of a run of just one friendly win in their last 11 matches. It reached a nadir in their last fixture when Norway thrashed the Mountaineers 9-0 – not a typo – a result that did not lead to Caparros' dismissal but has left the manager under severe pressure.
He may be living off credit in the bank from getting Armenia promoted from League C of the Nations League in 2020 as well as starting the last World Cup qualifying campaign with three wins in a row.
But Gasparyan explained that those victories over Liechtenstein, Iceland and Romania in March 2021 masked unimpressive performances and that the remainder of the group fixtures which saw Armenia lose or draw all of their games is more reflective of where they are at.
With that downward spiral in mind, he predicts that Ireland should be poised to pick up a victory by two or three goals on Saturday afternoon.
"I think the Irish team will have the opportunity to win – again – in Yerevan with two or three goals."
Follow Armenia v Republic of Ireland (Saturday, 2pm) via our live blog on rte.ie/sport or on the RTÉ News app. Watch live coverage on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player commencing at 1pm with live radio coverage on RTÉ Radio 1.
https://www.rte.ie/sport/soccer/2022/0531/1302271-armenia-want-revenge-but-are-in-a-downward-spiral/