Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth: Premier League – live

Match report: Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth

Just when it seemed another match would be dominated by the dreariness of a debatable video assistant referee decision, a moment of majesty from Charalampos Kostoulas provided a pertinent reminder of the beauty that football can provide.

With his side staring at what would have been a controversial defeat, the Greek substitute found himself facing away from the Bournemouth goal in the first minute of injury time. A touch of his chest bounced the ball upwards, before the 18-year-old produced a wonderful bicycle kick to send the Amex Stadium wild.

It meant spoils were shared and ensured the game was not decided by a first-half penalty that the referee had not initially given, instead punishing Amine Adli for a dive, only to change his mind and point to the spot when identifying on the pitchside monitor that Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen had touched the Moroccan as he tumbled to the ground. How much contact is too much contact? Does anyone even know any more?

Charalampos Kostoulas

It’s the first time you have seen it [an overhead kick] but Lewis has seen it plenty of times in training! I like this way of trying to score.

[On adjusting to life in England] This is an experience I wanted to live since I was a kid. I’m happy, I’m adjusting day by day.

Lewis Dunk

We started the game well, then we lost our rhythm. I’ve not seen it back but I didn’t think it was a penalty at the time. That turns the game on its head. We showed great fight in the second half and this man scored an unbelievable goal. He tries it a lot – I’ve seen him score even better overhead kicks in training!

The updated Premier League table

The result feels fair at the end of a hard-fought, often scruffy game. Marcus Tavernier’s debatable penalty was Bournemouth’s reward for an excellent first-half performance. Brighton dominated the second half without really threatening to score – until the teenage substitute Charalmpos Kostoulas’s memorable overhead kick in injury time.

Peep peep!

90+9 min: Bournemouth substitution Veljko Milosavljevic comes on for the excellent Alex Jimenez.

90+7 min Minteh’s deflected cross loops towards Baleba, whose snap volley from the edge of the area is blocked. Bournemouth’s defenders will sleep well tonight.

90+5 min A cross from Jimenez is importantly cut out at the near post. Jimenez and Truffert, Bournemouth’s full-backs, have had superb games.

90+4 min Truffert is down after taking an accidental, but firm, elbow from Minteh in the face. There has been plenty of cheating tonight, as there is in every game, but that was an appreciable whack so I’m not surprised Truffert stayed down.

Boscagli’s deep cross from the left was headed down by Van Hecke at the far post. It bounced up to Kostoulas, who was facing away from goal near the penalty spot. He controlled the ball on the chest and launched into a looping overhead kick that swerved away from Petrovic and into the corner. Petrovic didn’t dive for some reason and started to motion that the ball was going wide. I don’t think he’d have saved it anyway but it was a slightly odd piece of goalkeeping.

The teenager Charalampos Kostoulas equalises with a brilliant overhead kick!

90 min Eight minutes of added time.

90 min: Brighton substitution Ferdi Kadiolgu is replaced by Olivier Boscagli.

89 min Another Brighton corner comes to nothing. Bournemouth have defended admirably because they’ve looked shattered since about the 50th minute, yet Brighton haven’t created a clear chance in that time.

87 min If it stays like this Bournemouth will jump to 13th, level on points with Brighton but behind them on goal difference. It’s a games of snakes and ladders this season, with only nine points separating Liverpool in fourth and Spurs in fifteenth.

85 min Gross’s cross bounces off a defender to Van Hecke, who slashes over the bar from 12 yards. Petrovic is booked for wasting time at the resulting goalkick.

83 min Gross’s free-kick hits the wall and bounces towards Minteh on the edge of the area. He cuts across a good strike that is tipped over by Petrovic, an ultimately comfortable save.

83 min Adam Smith is booked for fouling Rutter.

82 min Gross’s corner is pushed away by Petrovic, under pressure, but only as far as Veltman eight yards from goal. He twists to hit a volley that is well blocked by a Bournemouth defender.

80 min Bournemouth take the corner short, fart around a bit and then lose the ball.

80 min The impressive Truffert wins a corner to give the Bournemouth defence, of which he is part, a bit of a breather.

79 min: Bournemouth substitution Amine Adli limps off with cramp. Bafode Diakite replaces him.

78 min: Brighton substitution Charalampos Kostoulas come on for Danny Welbeck.

77 min More boos as Van Hecke is booked for a flying challenge on Scott. He got the ball but both feet were off the ground and the referee decides it was a reckless challenge.

73 min For all Brighton’s pressure, they haven’t had a shot on target in the second half. Nor have Bournemouth for that matter.

71 min: Double substitution for Bournemouth Ryan Christie and the main man, Adam Smith, come on for Eli Junior Kroupi and the limping Marcus Tavernier

70 min Gross’s shot from the edge of the area deflects over for another Brighton corner. Bournemouth look tired and are hanging on a bit. Tavernier is down, which leads to a delay taking the corner and more boos from the home fans.

68 min “One of Adam Smith’s canons,” begins Niall Mullen, “is that right foot of his.”

67 min: Triple substitution for Brighton Yankuba Minteh, Carlos Baleba and Georginio Rutter come on for Brajan Gruda, Jack Hinshelwood and Diego Gomez.

64 min Lots of Brighton pressure now. Gruda finds Welbeck in the area but his driven cross is cut out at the near post.

61 min “Contemplating the existence of Adam Smith on the Bournemouth bench made me realise how apt that is,” writes Ian Copestake. “If he comes on he will bring with him concepts that football thrives on, from the invisible hand (of God), division of labor (4.4.2), and free transfer markets (laissez-faire) as drivers of prosperity, emphasizing self-interest and competition over mercantilism, and laying the groundwork for capitalism!”

Yeah but Brighton have got James Milner on their bench.

60 min Now Senesi gets a yellow card for fouling Van Hecke. Brighton are having their best spell since the opening 10 minutes.

58 min It was Fabian Hurzeler who was booked a few minutes ago, and now Welbeck has joined him for a foul on Senesi.

56 min Brighton appeal unsuccessfully for a penalty when a header hits the arm of Senesi. I think it deflected onto his arm, and he was only a couple of yards away from the Brighton player anyway.

55 min The resulting corner is swung beyond the far post, where Van Hecke goes down holding his head after an aerial challenge. There’s a bit of pushing from players on both sides, nothing much.

Replays show that Scott jumped over Van Hecke, chested the ball behind for another corner and then gave Van Hecke a bit of a mouthful. It wasn’t a foul, though the Brighton bench disagreed and one of them has just been booked.

54 min Jimenez blocks a cross from Mitoma, then screams in celebration. Mitoma responds with a yap-yap hand gesture.

52 min Hill’s long throw is pushed over his own bar by Verbruggen. The corner leads to a shot on the turn from Kroupi that is blocked, then a long-range shot from Scott that is also blocked.

49 min At the other end, Mitoma flashes a lovely curler just wide from the edge of the area. He’s been quiet but that was a fine effort.

48 min A banrstorming run from Jimenez ends with a pass to Kroupi, though I think it was intended for Evanilson. Kroupi looks set to charge straight through the heart of the defence until Van Becke makes a vital challenge.

46 min Bournemouth get the second half under way.

“Rob,” says Niall Mullen. “Was VAR invented by someone who looked at football and thought ‘you know what this activity, that brings joy to millions by reminding them there’s a world beyond the horrors of the world, needs – more admin’?”

Half-time reading

Bournemouth have been much the better team and deserve to be in front, even if their goal – a penalty from Marcus Tavernier – was controversial. The first 10 minutes aside, Brighton were nowhere near their best.

45+1 min Three minutes of added time.

45 min Truffert moves down the left and swirls an ultra-inviting cross towards Evanilson, 12 yards out. He hangs in the air for an age and powers a downward header that bounces just wide of the far post. That was a fine effort.

44 min The resulting free-kick is overhit by Gruda, who was trying to cross it to the far post but stuck it behind for a goalkick.