Liam Watson admits it was difficult to come down from the high of winning an AIB All-Ireland club championship medal with Loughgiel Shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day.

The gifted attacker scored 3-7 against Coolderry in the final, which equalled the 0-16 he posted against Na Piarsaigh in the semi-final a month earlier. He has since returned to the Antrim fold - with some apprehension - and is expected to be a key man for the Saffrons in their Leinster SHC opener against Westmeath at Cusack Park this afternoon.

"When you're on that high from the club and you get the phone call from Jerry (Wallace) to go back in, it's a bit of a reality check," he told The Irish Independent.

"It was hard to get motivated to head up for slogging around a field. But I wanted to play, it's obvious that if you want to play at the top table against the best teams, that's what you have to do.

"I haven't played against them (Westmeath) in a few years, but they are putting in a lot of back-up. Antrim have played them twice in recent years and there has never been much in it.

"A couple of years ago, we beat Dublin in the championship and they went on to win the league last year and were relegated this year, so it just goes to show you that there are ups and downs in it. We're trying to get back up to where we want to be, it's won't be easy, but things are going well at minute." Tweet

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