Van Hecke Saves Draw for Brighton & Hove Albion After Bart Verbruggen's Costly Error Against Wolverhampton Wanderers

The Norwegian striker, who saw a big-money transfer fall through recently, was seen angrily arguing with his team's coaching staff at full-time. This came following his late substitution, just moments after he struck the woodwork with Wolves leading thanks to the Brighton goalkeeper's unfortunate deflection. The Seagulls pushed to get a last-gasp equaliser, that finally arrived through Jan Paul van Hecke.

Wolves Frustrated Again by Late Goal

This marks the second straight week, Wolves' bid to kickstart their campaign underway was stymied by a last-ditch equaliser. The Wolves manager had been dismissed shortly prior to the top flight's last-placed team went ahead, after Marshall Munetsi's shot rebounded off the bar and deflected off the opposition goalkeeper.

Fabian Hürzeler's side earned a draw for their second-half dominance, but Wolves, for the second consecutive match after their draw at Spurs, appeared as if they were going to hang on for a maiden league win of the campaign before conceding a last-minute leveler.

Match Explodes with Drama

Strand Larsen looked Wolves' best bet for a decisive additional goal, and the hosts looked less able to break forward with Jhon Arias leading the attack. The game exploded into life in the heart of the opening period.

The Wolves boss was furious at Jarred Gillett's decision not to give a set-piece when João Gomes was jostled by Carlos Baleba in the middle in the Brighton half. Then, following the official booked Baleba for an entirely more obvious foul on Bueno, the dismissal was shown to the coach for kicking a spare ball off a cone at the officials' technical area. Even though he promptly said sorry, it was clearly a dangerous act. The tension had been ignited.

When a deep free-kick into the Brighton area was headed back into the danger area, Welbeck only managed to clear the ball away as far as the midfielder, on the right side of the spot, who dispatched a veritable powerful of a strike toward goal. Even though the keeper managed to deflect the ball onto the underside of the crossbar, it bounced down and across the line off the shot-stopper's glove.

A single goal almost became two, only for the Brighton keeper to calmly push Krejci's headed effort, from a further high diagonal free-kick, to safety. The visitors, with their very impressive record at their ground – they had taken victory in their four matches here – and a good beginning to the campaign to boot, counterattacked with sporadic menace.

Second Half Drama

When Tchatatchoua underhit a back-pass, Brajan Gruda was entitled to challenge Sam Johnstone for the ball, though he did catch the home goalkeeper with his follow-through. After a niggly spell, the importance of the next goal became more apparent. It almost fell Wolves' favor, early in the second half, only for Arias to place over the bar from six yards after a excellent break spearheaded by Larsen, after he allowed Hwang to invite the overlapping Bueno to deliver into the box.

The away side, somewhat slow in the first half, looked stronger for the introducing of Georginio Rutter and, from Minteh's left-side cross, the replacement could barely have struck his shot any more sweetly.

The Wolves keeper, however, justifying his retention in goal ahead of Sá, dived back to his right to deny him. The Brighton coach had previously asked Ayari to man the base of his midfield on his by himself, resulting in Brighton to more territorial dominance, when he introduced the forward Tzimas to partner Welbeck in the frontline, with Gómez just behind them.

Late Twist as Van Hecke Strikes

Brighton have scored more times against Wolves than against any other team in the top division. But Wolves were determined to hold firm to what they held and so came close to putting the match away when Larsen fired against the foot of the upright. The Norway forward, still seeking peak condition after an Achilles injury, did not look impressed when he was taken off minutes later as the assistant, Pereira's assistant, looked to shore up the victory. The decision backfired though as Brighton drew level with four minutes remaining.

Wolves believed the ball had already gone out for a goal kick when the defender ensured by touching it on. From Minteh's near-post set-piece, Maxim De Cuyper delivered and, after the substitute got a small flick-on, the defender powered in only his second goal in 77 league appearances for the club.