COLIN Todd has hailed Bob Taylor as Wanderers' No 1 striker - rewarding one of the hardest working front men in the business.

It's not so much an expression of favouritism from the Reebok boss but an acknowledgment that the summer free transfer is currently his most in-form hit-man.

It's been a meteoric rise for the former West Brom favourite, who knew he had his work cut out getting a game when he turned his back on six seasons and over a century of goals with the Baggies when he made his close-season switch.

By his own admission, he was behind top scorer Nathan Blake and record signing Dean Holdsworth while Arnar Gunnlaugsson's incredible early-season form nudged him further down the pecking order. But Blake has gone, Holdsworth has struggled to win his place back after injury cut short his promising start to the season and top scorer Gunnlaugsson hasn't been so hot in recent games.

Now there's no denying that Super Bob is the man with the goal-den touch.

"He came in the summer as third choice striker and ended up as probably fourth choice," Todd reflected. "Now he'd probably be regarded as our No 1."

Taylor's goals have come in handy of late - he winkled out his fourth in five games at Tranmere laest week - but he's worth his weight in gold for his expertise and determination in leading the line.

"He worked his socks off out there and led the line superbly," Todd said of his No 9 at Tranmere, where he was less than complimentary about his team's failure to make the most of chances that should have had the points sewn up long before Kenny Irons' last-gasp equaliser.

At 31, Taylor is playing with the enthusiasm of a youngster enjoying every minute of every game - the way he has played throughout his career.

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