West Brom moved into an automatic promotion spot but were forced to settle for a point after referee Mike Pike failed to award a second-half goal following a shot from Jordao which crossed the goalline.

Veteran striker Bob Taylor suffered a broken hand early in the game but played on and scored the Baggies' goal, only for relegation-threatened Rotherham to launch a stirring second-half fightback and level matters through debutant Darren Byfield.

But the most controversial moment of the game came late in the second half at 1-1 when midfielder Jordao hooked the ball over the line when a deep corner to the back post was flicked on.

Television replays showed the ball had clearly crossed the line but Pike waved away impassioned pleas from Albion's players.

However, the Millers had their moments and Albion will know that their hopes of promotion remain in their own hands with two games to go after they leapfrogged local rivals Wolves into second place in Nationwide Division One.

Retaining his place in the side after scoring the winner against Coventry on Easter Monday, Taylor caused early problems for the Rotherham defence.

After two minutes he flashed in a free-kick from just outside the box but the Millers rearguard were up to their first test as Chris Sedgwick hacked the ball away for a corner.

Three minutes later, the Baggies pressed again and having neatly exchanged passes with Jordao down the left, full-back Igor Balis should have done better with a clipped effort that flew into the side netting.

Rotherham were struggling to maintain possession of the ball but finally, after seven minutes, they did pose their first threat.

When a ball over the top dropped for Byfield on the edge of the box, the striker used his strength well to muscle past the challenge of Phil Gilchrist before firing a shot just past the right hand post.

But there was a scare for visiting boss Ronnie Moore as the former Walsall man pulled up clutching his leg having let fly the shot.

After receiving treatment, Byfield returned to the action two minutes later seemingly none the worse for wear and on 19 minutes he almost gave his side the lead again with a bullet header which slipped wide from Martin McIntosh's cross.

But it was West Brom who continued to dictate the pace and after 32 minutes they hit the visitors with a sucker punch as Taylor fired home.

Derek McInnes was the architect in midfield and when he slipped the ball to the striker on the left edge of the box he shifted his feet before drilling low into the corner of the net.

Rotherham came out with all guns blazing at the start of the second half and within five minutes they were back on level terms after Byfield fired home.

After the home defence failed to clear an Alan Lee cross, the ball broke for the striker on the edge of the six-yard box and he made no mistake, poking home past Russell Hoult.

And there was worse news for Megson soon after when Gilchrist was forced off with a shoulder injury to be replaced by Larus Sigurdsson.

Buoyed by their breakthrough, Rotherham stepped up the pace and after 62 minutes they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Byfield appeared to be clipped by Sigurdsson in the box.

It was now the visitors who were dominating things and seven minutes later they threatened again as first Sedgwick rifled a snapshot against the post before Stewart Talbot somehow managed to force wide his header from virtually on the goal-line.

After 71 minutes finally Taylor was withdrawn after battling on for over an hour with his hand strapped up, but despite that setback Jordao almost won it for the hosts when his shot appeared to cross the line.

But despite West Brom appeals, referee Pike failed to award the goal and the hosts were forced to settle for a point.

Teams:

West Brom: Hoult, Varga, Moore, Gilchrist (Sigurdsson 53), Clement, McInnes, Johnson (Dobie 58), Jordao, Balis, Dichio, Taylor (Adam Chambers 72).

Subs Not Used: Petterson, Fox.

Goals: Taylor 33.

Rotherham: Pollitt, Scott, McIntosh, Branston, Sedgwick, Talbot, Daws, Mullin, Hurst, Lee, Byfield.

Subs Not Used: Richard Barker, Robins, Beech, Monkhouse, Esson.

Booked: Byfield.

Goals: Byfield 50.

Att: 22,376

Ref: M Pike (Barrow-in-Furness).