Brighton 2 (Welbeck 45, Ferguson 85) Wolves 2 (Ait-Nouri 88, Cunha 90+3)
Matheus Cunha will hope he’s breathed new life into Wolves’ season by firing home an invaluable equaliser three minutes into stoppage time at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Like so often this season, the Old Gold gave a good account of themselves at the Amex, but trailed to Danny Welbeck’s goal and thought their chances had gone when Evan Ferguson doubled the home side's lead on 85 minutes.
However, Wolves’ luck finally turned in those choosing stages. Rayan Ait-Nouri lashed home to reduce the deficit and then deep into injury time Cunha’s strike took a huge deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke before hitting the underside of the crossbar on its way in. A deserved first point since August for Gary O’Neil’s side.
For much of the opening half, things had gone according to plan for Wolves. They’d been solid, compact and offered Brighton few opportunities, and actually should have played much of it as the leading side.
The main early chance belonged to O’Neil’s squad. After Cuna impressively rolled Joel Veltman, he was in down the left and picked out Tommy Doyle arriving around the penalty spot, but he curled over when unmarked, despite the ball falling to his favoured right foot.
The Seagulls couldn’t match that for chance quality for much of the half, with Welbeck heading on to the roof of the net and Carlos Baleba having a long-distance effort turned around the post by Sa.
Nelson Semedo had kept Karou Mitoma quiet in his defensive role and shot straight at Bart Verbruggen on one of a number of flurries forward. The one time Mitoma did get in, Santiago Bueno pushed him wide so his effort flew over the bar.
It was Wolves’ defending during the first 45 which made the opening goal all the more frustrating. Sa’s kick was poor, straight to Ferdi Kadioglu, who fed Georginio Rutter. He in turn slid in Welbeck, who confident stroked across Sa and into the goal for the opening goal.
Half-time | Brighton 1-0 Wolves
For much of the second half Wolves took the game to Brighton, but couldn’t find a way through. Cunha twice threatened, first when his cross was inches away from Jorgen Strand Larsen and then when he stung the palms of Verbruggen.
Strand Larsen, fresh from two goals in recent weeks, then headed a Cunha cross into the hands of Verbruggen. The half-time introduction of Pablo Sarabia made a difference too, and both Bueno and Craig Dawson had headed attempts from crosses courtesy of the Spaniard.
Wolves had been the side in control for nearly all of the half, so the familiar sinking feeling of a second Brighton goal was cruel. Fresh legs from Tariq Lamptey carried the ball into the box and Ferguson was able to fire across goal and into the far corner.
However, that wasn’t that for Wolves. Sarabia’s corner two minutes later was attacked by Dawson, and although he couldn’t turn home, Ait-Nouri lashed the loose ball through a crowd of bodies and into the net, and Wolves were back where they were, a goal behind.
This time however, things were different. Brighton found themselves four against one, but that one, Doyle, stuck out a boot to crucial intercept and feed Cunha. The Brazilian took on the mantle, carried forward, assessed his options and let fly, via a big deflection and the underside of the crossbar, fired Wolves to a crucial equaliser. The scenes in the away end were exactly what O’Neil and Wolves deserved.
Full-time | Brighton 2-2 Wolves
Brighton | Verbruggen, Veltman, Igor, van Hecke, Estupinan, Kadioglu (Gruda 72), Baleba (Wieffer 80), Ayari, Rutter (Lamptey 80), Mitoma (Enciso 89), Welbeck (Ferguson 73).
Unused subs | Steele, Cahill, Adingra, Moder.
Wolves | Sa, Semedo, Bueno, Dawson, Toti (Forbs 45)( R Gomes 90+5), Ait-Nouri, Doyle, Lemina (Sarabia 45), J Gomes (Guedes 90+1), Cunha, Strand Larsen (Andre 90+4).
Unused subs | Bentley, Lima, Doherty, Bellegarde.
