Two goals from veteran striker Bob Taylor strengthened West Brom's bid for a top-six spot and left managerless Tranmere rooted to the foot of the Division One table.

Albion manager Gary Megson opted to recall the 34-year-old Taylor to his starting line-up and drop the club's record £2million signing Jason Roberts to the bench.

It was a move paid that dividends as Taylor found the target in the 40th and 63rd minutes to give Albion a six-point breathing space over seventh-placed Nottingham Forest.

The dangerous Taylor was on the mark for the first time when he crowned a fine move engineered by strike partner Lee Hughes.

It was Hughes who crossed from the right for Richard Sneekes to slip the ball to Taylor - and he made no mistake with a cracking right-footer from the edge of the area.

In the 63rd minute Taylor made it 2-0 when he took full advantage of a defensive blunder by Rovers.

Graham Allen got into a tangle with goalkeeper John Achterberg that left Taylor with the simple task of firing the ball into the back of the empty Tranmere net.

Rovers continued to battle fiercely and they reduced the arrears in the 85th minute with a marvellous free-kick through Albion's defensive wall by Jason Koumas.

But then, to cap their miserable afternoon, Rovers had Mickey Mellon red-carded in the dying seconds after he picked up his second caution of the game.