Taylor scored several goals in local derbies during his time at Albion, including a diving header against Wolves to seal a 2–0 win in March 1995; he later described it as the best goal of his career. His only hat-trick for Albion, in a 4–4 draw against Watford on 12 March 1996, helped him to finish as Albion's top league goalscorer for the third time, finding the net on 17 occasions in 1995–96. He captained the side for the second half of that season and scored his 100th goal for the club in the final league game of the campaign, against Derby County. Things changed however in 1998, when Denis Smith succeeded Ray Harford as manager. Recovering from an ankle injury and struggling with his fitness, Taylor was sent out on loan to Premiership club Bolton Wanderers.