BURNLEY might be breathing a sigh of relief at not having to face prolific marksman Lee Hughes at the Hawthorns tomorrow.

The 24-year-old goal machine is forced to sit the game out having accrued five yellow cards in a season in which he has also scored seven League goals in tandem with record signing Jason Roberts.

But Steve Davis and company will relax at their peril as Hughes' replacement is one of the most consistent goalscorers around the Nationwide League.

Bob Taylor's chances have been few and far between this season given the form of Hughes and Roberts, a £2 million summer signing from Bristol Rovers.

But the 33-year-old will start his first League game in almost two months against the Clarets and is desperate to make his mark.

"I am always frustrated when I'm not in the first team," said Taylor, who scored the winner in the last meeting between the sides in September, 1994 and also notched on his last start for West Brom in their derby clash with Birmingham in mid-September. "But I am experienced enough to realise just what a good job Lee and Jason have been doing since they started playing together.

"It has got to be good for the club that they are putting away the goals but it doesn't hurt to remind them that I am still here -- and just waiting for my chance."

Taylor, who returned to the Hawthorns from Bolton last season after kicking off his career with Leeds and Bristol City, has scored more than 100 League goals in his two spells with the Baggies.

And the crowd favourite makes his comeback with manager Gary Megson looking for goals after a clutch of spurned chances resulted in a 2-0 defeat at Grimsby last Sunday.

"We have put pressure on ourselves by losing the way we did against Grimsby," admitted Megson, whose side was displaced in the top six by Burnley in mid-week.

"Each time we have lost this season we have responded well in the next game, but that becomes harder and harder. We should have scored at least one on Sunday. We created an awful lot of opportunities and looked a big threat."

Despite, that West Brom have made an encouraging start to the campaign after spending last season fighting against relegation.

Megson has turned things round and as well as signing Roberts in the close season, also recruited former Spurs and Newcastle winger Ruel Fox, Chelsea defender Neil Clement and Scot Derek McInnes from Tolouse.

McInnes, who also interested Burnley, is out injured but Fox is likely to be an influential figure on the right flank.