By Mike Haymonds:
SAM Archer was the match winner as Slough Ladies took over the Premier top spot with a hard-earned win over second-placed Birmingham University.
There was a shake-up at the top of the table with leaders Leicester losing their first league game since March 2009 to Canterbury who moved up to second, one point behind Slough
The top four are now covered by three points with Leicester third and the Students fourth.
Slough skipper Fiona Greenham said: “It was not our best performance but we had enough chances to win convincingly.
“We’re not keeping and passing the ball well and our link-up play needs improvement.”
Apart from two early chances the Students failed to trouble Slough keeper Becky Duggan in the first half.
Sophie Bray lobbed an effort over the bar and, from their first penalty corner, Duggan went down to save and Mandy Nicholson cleared the danger.
At Slough’s first corner Chloe Strong’s strike was deflected on to the bar from a defender’s stick before Joey Turnbull fired wide for the visitors.
Slough then forced the ball over the line but a Slough forward’s foot ruled out the ‘goal.’
However, in the 27th minute the breakthrough came when a cross to Louise Bevan at the far post was played into the path of Archer for a tap-in.
Just before half-time Nicholson was again Slough’s saviour with a goal-line clearance from the Students’ second corner.
In the second period Slough were the dominant force but five more corners brought them no reward before Archer fired straight at the visitors’ keeper from a one-on-one situation.
Slough survived a nervy final few minutes when they successfully defended three penalty corners.
SLOUGH: Duggan, Nicholson, Strong, Coulson, Bell, Scott, Greenham, Bowe, Bevan, Penny, Archer. Subs: Ball, Ilkei, Daniels.