What curious times these are for Peter Taylor. Still being blamed – in part, at least – for the cash crisis threatening to swallow Leicester City, whose Premiership demise he supervised, he strode on to the pitch at struggling Hull yesterday to a rapturous welcome. Pariah and messiah in the same week must be a unique double.

On form, promotion hopefuls Rochdale probably should have spoiled the day for Taylor's latest club, arriving as they were with hopes of climbing into the top three. But the side he has inherited from the sacked Jan Molby rose to the occasion with their best performance of the season, Phil Jevons and Michael Branch sharing the goals as the Tigers triumphed for only the third time in 13 matches.

"The credit has to be with Billy Russell [Hull's youth coach], who did a great job today," Taylor said, having watched from the directors' box before taking charge officially tomorrow. "I introduced myself to the players before the game and I did point out a couple of things at half-time but my job starts on Monday.

"All the players deserve credit and their performance after getting their noses in front just shows how much difference a bit of confidence can do. Hopefully we can go on from here."

On the face of it, Taylor's move to Hull might look a backwards step for a man who was in charge of the England side only two years ago. Out of work since quitting Brighton in May, however, more than anything he wanted to return to work.

Given the job that became vacant at Ipswich Town less than 12 hours after Molby's departure, moreover, Taylor may also appear to have acted in haste in accepting Hull chairman Adam Pearson's offer. Yet time may show his choice to have been a good one.

Every new manager at every club talks about potential but in Taylor's case the words do carry significance. For one thing, Hull have the rare distinction of being not a penny in debt. For another, they are due to leave their ramshackle Boothferry Park ground, a 56-year-old relic of concrete and corrugated iron, for a £43.5million impressive new stadium before the year is out – paid for entirely by Hull City Council.

Perhaps it was not such a surprise, then, that Taylor should describe Hull as "probably the only Third Division club I would have considered". Despite the current status of the team – they had slipped to 18th before yesterday – a crowd of 25,000 is expected for the new ground's debut league fixture against Hartlepool on Boxing Day. If the potential is genuine, though, Pearson's explanation for removing Molby sounds a little optimistic. Even Taylor, who achieved promotion with Gillingham and Brighton, might be hard pressed "to deliver a successful team in time for the move", although at least things were looking up yesterday.

Playing with a fluency that earned them an ovation as they left the field, Taylor's new charges were two up before half-time. The first goal came on 28 minutes, when Stuart Elliott's header from a Stuart Green cross was deflected cleverly past goalkeeper Neil Edwards by Jevons, the second after 44, when Jevons again combined with Elliott to set up the on-loan Wolves striker Branch – Molby's last signing – for his first Hull goal. Rochdale, prompted by the still cultured touches of 37-year-old Ian Bishop in midfield, briefly threatened a recovery but in the event Branch ensured Taylor will arrive at work today with a spring in his step, taking advantage of Gareth Griffiths's underhit back pass to guarantee victory six minutes from time.

Hull City 3 Rochdale 0
Jevons 28, Branch 45, 84

Half-time: 2-0 Attendance: 9,057