Rovers said goodbye to Tugay on an emotional afternoon at Ewood Park.

The match in the sunshine against West Bromwich Albion was almost the sideshow as a crowd of over 28,000 came out to pay tribute to our Turkish delight.

In a lively first half, both sides struck the woodwork, Chris Samba going close on the quarter hour after turning Donk, but his low effort struck the post.

Chris Brunt went the closest for the visitors but his tremendous volley from Greening's cross was superbly kept out by Paul Robinson, surely an England call-up this evening will be coming his way.

The second half saw West Brom dominate but were wasteful in front of goal, but Rovers cause wasn't helped by referee Mike Jones who sent substitute Jason Roberts to the stands for an off the ball collision with Jonas Olsson.

That really ended the game as a contest, the remaining minutes dedicated to the great man.

After a tribute video on the big screen after the game, Tugay came out to acclaim more support, his T-shirt said "Thank you for all your support".

The final game of the season saw Tugay given the honour of leading Rovers out in his final match in Rovers colours. Banners and flags flying high saluting the maestro who brought his eight year career with the club to an end in the sunshine at Ewood Park - his 294th appearance.

Sam Allardyce made two changes from the match last Sunday against Chelsea. With Ryan Nelsen ruled out through injury, Andre Ooijer had recovered from his own injury to replace him at the centre of defence, whilst there was a change up front with Benni McCarthy getting the nod up front with Carlos Villanueva dropping to the bench.

With nothing riding on the game except the opportunity to move up the table, Rovers started the game in a relaxed mood.

Chris Brunt saw an early effort blocked by the impressive Gael Givet, but it was Rovers who went the closest, Chris Samba taking a ball down from Tugay to shoot left-footed, but the ball flashed narrowly over Dean Kiely's crossbar.

At the other end Borja Valero tested Paul Robinson with an effort from the edge of the area, but the Rovers number 1 was equal to the Spaniard's efforts.

Rovers continued to press and probe but the closest they would come in the first half was a stunning strike from Chris Samba, after muscling his way past Donk the defender-cum-striker drilled the ball past Kiely but saw the ball crash off the outside of the post and away.

Morten Gamst Pedersen forced a fine save from Kiely with a 40 yard free-kick, whilst after being urged to shoot Tugay lashed narrowly wide across goal.

But as the half came to a close it was Tony Mowbray's side that ended strongly, Chris Brunt had already flashed an effort narrowly wide, but on the stroke of half-time Brunt latched onto a Jonathan Greening cross to volley goalwards only to be denied by a stunning save by Paul Robinson who pushed the ball onto the crossbar and Warnock cleared the danger.

Both managers kept faith with the same eleven as the second half got under way, Rovers going close early on from a Benni McCarthy free-kick that saw Chris Samba flick goalwards, but although Dean Kiely made a smart point-blank save, the flag on the far side was already raised, but despite that promising start to the second half, it never really got going for Rovers.

Instead it was the already relegated West Bromwich Albion who had the upper hand in the second period. Three chances in a five minute spell saw the visitors have their best spell of the game.

From a Koren cross from the left, Marc-Antoine Fortune flashed a header just wide on 64 minutes, then three minutes later the lively Chris Brunt connected to a centre from Koren but saw his first-time effort fly narrowly over the bar.

Then from the edge of the area, Juan Carlos Menseguez struck the ball across goal and wide.

Jason Roberts made his long-awaited return from injury, but his re-appearance was to last for just over ten minutes, when in an off the ball incident, referee Mike Jones deemed that Roberts had used an elbow on his marker Jonas Olsson and stopped a Rovers attack to issue Roberts a red card.

The decision stunned both Roberts and everyone else in the ground and from that point on the wind was taken out of Rovers' sails.

Twelve minutes from time West Brom missed the chance that summed up their season. Chris Brunt picking out Jonathan Greening from a corner kick but with the goal at his mercy he somehow headed wide at the back post. "That's why we're going down" chanted the visiting supporters.

Five minutes from time came the moment for four sides of the ground to stand on their feet and salute Tugay. In typical Tugay style it took him the best part of 90 seconds to leave the pitch, but not even the referee could spoil that particular departure.

A video montage set to "Nobody does it better" was played at the final whistle as a tribute to the great man, there was barely a dry eye in the house as the 2008/09 season was brought to a close.

He will always be our Turkish Delight.

ROVERS: Robinson, Andrews, Ooijer, Givet, Warnock, Diouf, Grella (sub Mokoena 70 mins), Tugay (c) (sub Olsson 86 mins), Pedersen, McCarthy, Samba (sub Roberts 60 mins).

Subs not used: Bunn (GK), Khizanishvili, Villanueva, Treacy.

WEST BROM: Kiely, Robinson, Koren, Greening (c), Brunt, Menseguez (sub Wood 90 mins), Zuiverloon, Olsson, Valero (sub Do-Heon 83 mins), Donk, Fortune.

Subs not used: Carson (GK), Moore, Simpson, Downing, Sawyers.

Booked:Valero (West Brom)

Off: Roberts (Rovers).

Attendance: 28,389