Lisbellaw face Swatragh this weekend in the Ulster Intermediate Club Championship quarter-final as they hope to go one better than last year’s attempt.

A thrilling game that went all the way to extra-time culminated in a 2-17 to 2-13 loss against Éire Óg in Carrickmore this time last year.

The Law will be without talisman Luca McCusker who suffered an injury representing Ireland in the annual shinty-hurling game against Scotland last weekend.

It was the second year in a row McCusker had been selected to play for Ireland and he picked up his second win and medal alongside the likes of Cian Darcy, Shane Meehan, Aidan McCarthy, Eoin Cody, and Dan and Tom Morrisey.

They will also be without Dan Teague whose red card in 2022 has carried over, with two games played since then, although he will be available in the next round if they are to go through.

Conor McShea and Enda McCabe will miss out with football duties as Enniskillen Gaels and Aghadrumsee are also in action at the weekend.

Defender Rory Porteous believes his side have prepared well for the weekend’s contest.

“Preparation this year has been as good as we’ve ever had,” Porteous said.

“We had testing campaigns in the Armagh and Tyrone leagues through the summer and had a couple of good challenge games recently but the best of it has been the hard work we’ve put in together in training.”

Speaking on Swatragh, he added: "Personally, I haven’t looked at them at all. I know our management have done their homework on Swatragh though, watching their county final but if we turn up and play how we are capable of playing we will be tough to beat and that’s all I feel like we need to focus on.”

Lisbellaw are hoping to go back to the Ulster Intermediate final after defeat to Banagher in 2021.

They have had two opening-round losses to Carrickmore’s Éire Óg since then.

“We have to just try to learn from last year and move on to this year,” Porteous continued.

“It’s that straightforward. Intermediate Hurling is probably the most competitive Ulster Club Championship so tough losses are easy to come by, but we know we have the quality to get results at this level too.”

Porteous played a key role in Fermanagh’s Lory Meagher win this year and is hoping to taste silverware in the same green and white of the St Patrick’s jersey under the management of John Duffy, Mark Slevin, Brian Jones and Ciaran McTeague.

Porteous, who travels up and down from Strabane for training and games added: “It would be special to get another run going in the championship with Lisbellaw.

"I don’t know how many more chances I’ll get to do it but hurling is growing in Fermanagh at the minute and hopefully, we can carry on the momentum that the hurling people in the county have built over the last while.”

Lisbellaw’s counterparts Erne Gaels were defeated in their Junior Championship clash with Sean Treacy’s last weekend with manager Paul Daly left frustrated at the lack of urgency to get the game changed to allow Belleek’s dual players to play, something which Porteous felt empathy for: “I have some sympathy for the fixture makers, there isn’t much room in the calendar to rearrange things and the bad weather we had meant that football couldn’t have gone ahead.

"But the Erne Gaels dual lads deserve some sort of accommodation. They should’ve been listened to, and more done to support them in that scenario.

"I may be biased but I feel like playing both codes is something very special and even though it’s impossible to do at inter-county level nowadays, it has to be made possible at club level.”