Jan Paul van Hecke Secures Draw for Brighton Following Bart Verbruggen's Own Goal Versus Wolves

The Norwegian striker, who saw a big-money transfer fall through recently, appeared angrily confronting Wolves' coaching staff when the match ended. This came following his second-half substitution, shortly after he hit the post with Wolves ahead thanks to Bart Verbruggen's unfortunate deflection. The Seagulls pushed for a last-gasp equaliser, which came through defender Van Hecke.

Wolverhampton Frustrated Again by Last-Minute Strike

This marks the second straight match, Wolves' attempt to kickstart their campaign underway was thwarted by a late tying goal. Vítor Pereira had been sent off shortly prior to the top flight's last-placed team took the lead, after Marshall Munetsi's volley rebounded off the bar and deflected off the Brighton goalkeeper.

Brighton's side deserved a draw for their second-half dominance, but Wolves, for the second consecutive match after their tie at Spurs, appeared as if they were going to hang on for a maiden league win of the season before conceding a late leveler.

Game Turns with Drama

The striker looked Wolves' best bet for a crucial additional goal, and the hosts seemed less able to break forward with Arias leading the line. The match burst into life in the heart of the first half.

Pereira was incensed at the referee's decision not to give a set-piece when Gomes was challenged by Carlos Baleba in the middle in the opposition half. Then, following the official cautioned Baleba for an altogether clearer infraction on Hugo Bueno, the dismissal was shown to the coach for striking a replacement ball off a cone at the officials' dugout. Even though he promptly said sorry, it was evidently a dangerous action. The tension had been ignited.

After a deep set-piece into the visitors' area was headed back into the six-yard box, Welbeck only managed to head the ball out as far as Munetsi, to the right of the spot, who unleashed a veritable hammer of a shot goalwards. Although the keeper managed to deflect the ball against the bottom of the crossbar, it rebounded back and across the goal-line after hitting the shot-stopper's glove.

A single goal almost turned into two, only for Verbruggen to very deliberately push Ladislav Krejci's headed effort, from a further high angled set-piece, over the bar. Brighton, with their very impressive record at their ground – they had taken victory in their four matches here – and a positive start to the campaign as well, broke forward with sporadic menace.

Second Half Action

When Tchatatchoua underhit a return pass, Gruda was within his rights to challenge Johnstone for the ball, although he made contact with the home goalkeeper with his follow-through. After a tetchy spell, the significance of the subsequent goal became more apparent. It almost fell Wolves' way, early in the second half, only for Jhon Arias to sidefoot over the bar from close range after a excellent break led by Strand Larsen, after he enabled Hwang Hee-chan to set up the overlapping Bueno to cross low.

Brighton, a little undercooked in the first half, looked more potent for the introduction of Rutter and, from Minteh's left-side cross, the replacement could hardly have struck his half-volley any more sweetly.

Johnstone, however, vindicating his retention in goal over Sá, dived back to his side to save. The Brighton coach had already asked Ayari to man the base of his midfield on his by himself, resulting in Brighton to greater territorial control, when he introduced the striker Tzimas to partner Welbeck in attack, with Gómez just behind them.

Late Twist as Defender Strikes

Brighton have notched more goals against Wolves than against any other team in the Premier League. But Wolves were set to hang on to what they held and so came close to sealing the match away when Larsen fired against the base of the post. The Norwegian forward, yet to regain peak condition after an achilles injury, did not look happy when he was taken off minutes later as the assistant, the manager's number two, looked to shore up the victory. The decision backfired however as Brighton equalised with 4 minutes left.

Wolves felt the ball had already gone behind for a goal kick when the defender made sure by nudging it forward. From Minteh's near-post set-piece, De Cuyper delivered and, after Tzimas got a slight touch, the defender powered in only his second ever goal in seventy-seven league appearances for the club.