This time last year, Dundalk arrived in Tallaght and smashed Shamrock Rovers 5-2 to cement their standing as champions in waiting.
It required a second-half show of strength with Dan Cleary, Dane Massey and Robbie Benson - twice - adding to Pat Hoban’s equaliser that cancelled out a Dan Carr opener.
Furious Rovers fans reacted by unfurling banners demanding the removal of Stephen Bradley, claiming ‘Enough Is Enough’.
How times have changed from a Hoops perspective and yet after such a blistering start this season, four defeats in their last nine games sees them trailing Dundalk by five points.
“I don’t think (the title) will be won or lost this week,” said Lilywhites boss Vinny Perth ahead of tonight’s top-of-the-table clash as he chases his first title as top dog.
Dundalk made a slow enough start to the season but with their crippling injury list no longer a concern, the champions have hit their stride.
They have gone about their business quietly and with Europe on the horizon, it’s a time of year when they traditionally come alive.
But Perth is trying to keep a lid on expectations and continued: “If we win tonight, people will say we've won it but I don't see it like that. I think it's going to be skewed.
“I don't know how we're going to fit in our league games over the next month because there will be cancellations.
“Even if we win tonight, we could find ourselves a point or two behind in four or five weeks' time, albeit with games in hand so there's a lot to play for.
“It obviously is a big game when the top two in the league meet.
“But when we were 13 points behind Rovers (in mid-April), there was no discussion of the league table and there has been no discussion of the league table over the last week.
“The whole management team has told the players to just ignore the league table and play a game at a time.
“It's a boring answer but we're going to have to do that because it will definitely be skewed.
“Maybe we'll have the same amount of European games as Shamrock Rovers, maybe they'll have more than us.
“We just have to make sure when the next league game can be played that we're ready for it.”
But while Rovers’ form definitely wobbled before the summer break, Perth appreciates that the Hoops are a different animal this season to last.
“They're obviously a better squad than last year. Their form at the start of the season was outstanding,” he continued.
“They've had a couple of disappointing results of late but their form at the start of the season actually put us under a bit of pressure.
“Externally, people were comparing the two sides and their positions in the league but Rovers have always been difficult games for us.
“Through Pat Fenlon's time there or Trevor Croly, it's always a difficult game, a massive game in Tallaght and I think it will be the same again tonight.”
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