Bristol Rovers 2 Albion 4.

NOW we know it for certain.

Elliott Bennett’s form will not be affected by all the fuss about his Albion future.

The fans have been reassuringly supportive but it has been hard to gauge the impact on the player of Norwich’s three rejected bids, or the fall-out from his transfer request.

Bennett was on the bench at Watford in the FA Cup, which may have been the case irrespective of him asking to leave three days earlier.

His post-window return to the starting line-up at Leyton Orient last Tuesday was not much of a clue. He was no better or worse than his team-mates in a below-par performance.

On a wet and windy afternoon in the West Country, any lingering doubts were extinguished. This was the influential Elliott Bennett we have become accustomed to.

He played a part in many of Albion’s best moments except that, rather than adding directly to his ridiculously plentiful tally of assists, he scored himself to end a surprising drought away from home in the league stretching back to a stunning strike at Oldham last March.

Gus Poyet, honest as ever, owned up to doubts about the ramifications for Bennett of the Norwich saga.

The manager admitted: “Yes, because it is the first time it has happened to me and the first time it has happened to Benno in his career.

“You never know how people are going to react but I am pleased for him. He has his new yellow boots and he scored with them so he is going to use them a lot!”

That light-hearted reference to the boots Bennett sensibly kept hidden away while the Canaries courted his signature is indicative of the strong and unbroken bond between Poyet and his star player.

Bennett is extra-special because of his versatility. He is effective out wide or in the more central berth where he popped up to put Albion ahead for the first time in the match early in the second half.

Poyet said: “Everybody looks at Elliott as a right winger but when he was in the middle he was very good, running, fighting and chasing, following runners and making runs which give you a chance to score.

“If you ask me what his best position is I would say at the top of the diamond. We didn’t play that because of the three strikers. He is a very good winger and midfielder.”

The successful utilisation of all three forwards from the start in a league game for the first time was the other big plus point. It has worked in the FA Cup and Poyet now has yet another string to his bow in the pursuit of promotion.

Ashley Barnes forced his hand. “I only played three strikers because of Ash,” Poyet explained. “He has been so good on the ball.

“The other day at Leyton Orient, when we were poor technically, he was the best one. How can the manager not play his best player in the last game?

“Ash has complicated my selection. If I analyse the players individually, he is probably the one of the three who deserves to be playing the most.

“At the same time, if I analyse the best couple, I think Glenn plays better with Chris Wood and Ash plays better with Glenn Murray.”

It’s a nice complication to have, which is more than can be said for falling behind in the second minute to a quality strike from the impressive Will Hoskins for relegation-haunted Rovers.

Hoskins, operating on the left, cut inside to unleash a shot from 20 yards which sailed over Casper Ankergren and in via the bar.

Albion controlled the first half but fluffed their lines until the first flash of quality inside their opponents’ penalty area produced the equaliser.

Barnes’ instant control of a low cross from Wood was followed by an unstoppable left-foot shot into the roof of the net.

The gulf in class between the sides in passing and movement was made more apparent soon after the restart. Bennett continued a build-up begun by Gary Dicker and was then on hand to sweep in Barnes’ cross.

It was hard not to feel a little sympathy for Rovers when Barnes, put through by Dicker, had his effort saved by Luke Daniels, only for the ball to ricochet in off centre-half Cian Bolger for Albion’s third goal.

Cruelly, Gavin Williams had struck a post for the hosts with a rasping drive from 25 yards just five minutes earlier.

A simple far post header from substitute Craig Noone’s cross enabled Murray to join Barnes on the 12-goal mark.

Hoskins’ second of the game and 17th of the campaign, after getting the better of both Liam Bridcutt and Inigo Calderon, was little more than a consolation.

At least Rovers have the satisfaction of possibly being the only side to score four goals against Albion this season after their 2-2 draw at Withdean, although Hartlepool might have something to say about that on Saturday.

Conceding twice will not have gone down well with Poyet’s assistant Mauricio Taricco, not as well as Dean Cox’s helpful late equaliser for Orient at Bournemouth.

Huddersfield were the only other winners in the top seven at the start of play and if Albion avenge their 3-1 defeat at Hartlepool in November they will be bang on the two points per game guarantee of a place in the Championship.

Poyet said: “I think Tano (Taricco) has defined it. The only enemies we have got in this league are ourselves. If we keep up the pace and quantity of points per games played we are going to be up.”

Albion (4-2-1-3): Ankergren; Calderon, Greer, El-Abd, Painter; Bridcutt, Dicker; Bennett; Wood (Noone 71), Murray (Sandaza 81), Barnes. Subs not used: Brezovan, Elphick, Battipiedi, Holroyd, Taricco.

Goals: Barnes (38), Bennett (52), Bolger (73) own goal, Murray (79).

Red cards: None.

Yellow cards: Ankergren (69) time wasting, Murray (70) handball, Sandaza (86) foul.

Bristol Rovers (4-1-4-1): Daniels; Anthony, Bolger, Coles, Hughes; Kalala (Swallow 71); Williams, Lines, Davies; Hoskins; Howe (Kuffour 66).

Subs not used: Green, Regan, Sawyer, Brown, Richards.

Goals: Hoskins (2) and (86).

Red cards: None.

Yellow card: Williams (5) foul.