Though the winners were not at their best, their passing was better than Western's, while the home side seemed unable to keep possession, and the final score of 2-1 properly reflected the balance of the game.

Not for the first time this season, Western found themselves a goal down almost immediately, after Olympian Pauline Stott was allowed to race down the touchline unchallenged before crossing for an easy chance to convert.

Grove went two up in the 25th minute when, from a goal-mouth scramble at a penalty corner, the ball fell kindly for a Grove striker to blast into the net.

Western looked to have hit the comeback trail after a brilliant solo run by Holly Cram, who beat three defenders, then Grove's Australian keeper, to make it 2-1 just before half-time.

And that was the final score, despite the continued domination of the game by the Taysiders throughout the second period.

But a win for Kelburne elsewhere meant that Western dropped to an unaccustomed third place in the table.

Meanwhile, Giffnock remain in fourth place after defeating Edinburgh University 5-0, also at Bellahouston. The students were thoroughly put in their place by two goals from Lynne Davidson, two set-piece conversions by Kareena Marshall and a late strike by Louise Fleming.