Stephen Kenny's side will be low in confidence after a dreadful loss.

Joaquín Caparrós was smiling like a Cheshire cat as Armenian journalists clapped the manager into the press conference room.

And then he got down to the brass tacks of the matter.

“Football is only about the result, nothing more. We don’t have to argue about anything else,” said the former Sevilla boss after delivering one of Armenia’s greatest ever wins.

It’s hard to argue with him.

Possession may be nine tenths of the law, but Ireland owning 65% of the ball isn’t worth a jot when you struggle to lay a finger on opposition who were there for the taking.

The Republican Stadium in Yerevan was less than half full at kick-off, with about 6,000 or so turning up.

Revenge was in the air, sure, after their games with Ireland in 2010 and 2011. But confidence in delivering a result was low after a 9-0 thumping by Norway in their last game.

Yet the more that Ireland misfired, the more hope the hosts gained and by the closing stages there were considerably more fans inside the ground.

Word had spread around the neighbouring streets that Ireland were making a dog's dinner of things and that maybe, just maybe, this could be a historic night for the 92nd ranked team.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that Ireland were on easy street just because Caoimhin Kellher had so little to do in goal.

Kenny prides his teams on attacking flair, but there was none of it on show here as the forward division flopped and wilted in the heat.

But as Seamus Coleman flagged before the game, the conditions cannot be used as an excuse and Ireland had enough of the ball to do more damage than they did.

All the effort in the final third was half baked at best. Nothing clean, and nothing even vaguely threatening.

“It’s not a game that we deserved to lose – you couldn’t say that on the balance of play or chances,” said Ireland boss Stephen Kenny.

“But we have lost and we only ourselves to blame and we’re disappointed."

Kenny continued: “For the last 25 minutes of the first half we were in control but we didn’t start the second half like we ended the first and were susceptible to counters.

“We watched Armenia’s last 20 games and they don’t usually play with five at the back. We found them difficult to break down and we only had half chances.”

There were shades of Ireland’s nightmare home defeat to Luxembourg about this performance, with Kenny’s team labouring despite bossing possession.

Kenny responded: “That was a long time ago and there were reasons for that. Tonight I accept the criticism and we didn’t unlock the door or create more clear cut chances.”

Troy Parrott was disappointing and Callum Robinson found the side netting before seeing another effort hooked out of the goalmouth, but the execution wasn't clean.

Ogbene can’t be faulted for effort but should have done better with a header before the break when completely unmarked in the box.

“I’m very disappointed with myself for not hitting the target that close,” he sighed. “If you create those chances you have to put them away otherwise you feel like this.”

Armenia already had a goal chalked off – late – for offside before Eduard Spertsyan unleashed a stunning strike from distance with 16 minutes to play.

And nobody can say they didn’t deserve it because they played with more composure and purpose on the break.

Ireland, on the other hand, continued to make heavy work of it and the introduction of in-form Michael Obafemi did little to aid the cause.

At the end, it was hit and hope with Ogbene peppering the box for Shane Duffy or John Egan to get a head on to it.

Both men did, but never with conviction.

It was all so desperate.

Kenny targeted top spot in the group before the draw was even made – and will need a run of impressive results now for it to happen.

Ogbene said: “It’s a big mountain to climb but we have seen teams do it before.

“We are capable of doing it but it has to start from Wednesday. We need to put points on the board on Wednesday if we are going to top the group like we say we want to.”

But the night belonged to Armenia.

Caparrós added: “I have to praise my players as Ireland are a very good team and a victory here against a team like that is very important for us.”

The pity is that it was handed to them on a plate.