FORMER Down star Noel Sands believes his club's senior players "have no reason to be complacent" ahead of tomorrow's Ulster semi-final clash against Lisbellaw.
The unheralded Fermanagh champions are not expected to trouble the Ardsmen but Sands doesn't subscribe to that particular theory.
"They have no right to take any team lightly," said Sands, who won eight county titles with his club.
"They were beaten earlier this year by St Gall's in the Antrim league. They can't take anybody for granted.
"They want to get to an Ulster final and test themselves against either Slaughtneil or Cushendall.
"That's what their aim, and Lisbellaw stand in their way. They will be going as hard as they did against Ballycran."
Portaferry lifted the Jeremiah McVeigh Trophy following a one-point win over Ballycran. But Sands insisted that the scoreline doesn't tell the true story of the game.
"I thought it was a comfortable one-point victory. They weren't under any pressure. The back line was playing out of its skin. The forwards were working really hard. The whole team just clicked that day. It was a great team performance that day and it was great to see, especially after Kevin McGarry got sent off."
Described by newspapers reports as a moment of indiscipline, Sands was adamant that McGarry was the victim of an unfair decision.
"How Kevin McGarry got sent off and the other boy stayed on the field is beyond me. The two of them were niggling each other. It was a case of one man taking a thump and the other man taking a thump. After Kevin gave a thump, the other man lay down."
Sands, however, believes McGarry's red card gave Portaferry the incentive they needed to drive on and win the game.
"They hurled their socks off after that," he said.
Despite their impressive display in the county final, the three-time Allstar nominee conceded that Portaferry have been slow to come to the boil.
"To be honest, Portaferry hadn't been going well all year. They have struggled in the Antrim league. They are still close to relegation. But they were hoping that it would turn around for them and it has turned around for them.
"To be fair to the manager [Sean Young], during the Antrim league, they never had the six backs on show. There was always one or two of them injured.
"Sean never had a full set of cards to play with. But come the Championship everyone was fit and raring to go."
Once the Championship season loomed on the horizon, Portaferry found a new gear.
"The players themselves said the attitude in the camp really changed. They have turned it around. The attitude and the performances they have put in since then have been really, really good," he said.
The evergreen Paul Braniff (above) continues to be Portaferry's most influential hurler. Having retired from the county team, Sands believes the 31-year-old has benefited from his move to midfield.
"It seems to have given him a new lease of life," he said.
"Paul's ability is beyond question. As a forward playing at midfield, he knows the type of ball that a forward wants.
"Paul has played as a forward for so long, he knows what it's like to get murdered. When you are being hit with a 60/40 ball, and you are not winning them, people get on your back.
"Paul knows where to put it, and our forwards are benefiting from that."