Rogic sparks West Brom to Championship win

Having missed out on the World Cup, Socceroo Tom Rogic has offered a reminder of his goalscoring quality, firing home from the edge of the area for West Bromwich Albion in a 2-1 comeback win over Sunderland in the Championship.

Rogic missed out on Graham Arnold’s squad for the tournament in Qatar, where Australia reached the last-16 before falling to soccer superpower Argentina, after battling for fitness and game-time at the beginning of the new season in England’s second tier.

But in West Brom’s first game back after the World Cup break, the 29-year-old showed plenty of the quality that has earned him 53 caps over 10 years for Australia.

With his side trailing 1-0 to hosts Sunderland, substitute Rogic stepped up 20 minutes from time to fire smartly home with the outside of his boot from the edge of the penalty area following a layback from US international Daryl Dike.

It was the former Celtic star’s first goal for the club he joined on a free transfer in September.

Seven minutes from time, Albion grabbed a winner, when Dike headed home a Jed Wallace cross at the near post.

The Midlands club have now won four successive games and sit 17th in the 24-team Championship.