Fabian Hurzeler insisted Brighton & Hove Albion earned their reward at the Amex as a dramatic stoppage-time strike from Babis Kostoulas rescued a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, keeping the Seagulls in the contest right to the final whistle.
From the first kick, Albion pressed with purpose and tempo, yet the game’s momentum swung midway through the first half when Marcus Tavernier converted a contentious penalty to put the visitors ahead.
From there, Brighton momentarily lost their fluency, allowing Bournemouth to manage the contest until the closing stages.
However, just when it seemed the points were slipping away, Kostoulas stepped off the bench and delivered a moment of pure theatre with an acrobatic overhead kick that lifted the stadium and secured a deserved share of the spoils.
“I thought we started the game really strong and then the penalty changed the rhythm of the game,” Hurzeler said. “We lost our rhythm. We made afterwards too many easy technical mistakes.
“We didn’t position like we wanted to be positioned and then you have problems against any team in the Premier League. We changed this and in the second half it was better. Although we weren’t that strong like we wanted to be but we created chances.”
As the second half unfolded, Brighton pushed higher up the pitch, circulating the ball with greater intent and carving out openings.
While the equaliser arrived in spectacular fashion, the gaffer was quick to stress that Kostoulas’ brilliance was built on broader team principles rather than rehearsed flair.
“It’s not like we throw 20 times the ball like this and he should finish like this! We try to work on more serious things than this, but Babis has the skill to do these kind of things. We know it, but it’s about doing the other things well like controlling the ball, working defensively.”
Still, the night’s major flashpoint remained Bournemouth’s penalty decision.
Referee Paul Tierney initially booked Amine Adil for simulation before VAR official Jarred Gillett advised a review, prompting a reversal and the award of the spot-kick. The German manager made his feelings clear but chose to look forward rather than dwell on the call.
“For me it’s not a penalty, but we have to accept people make mistakes and now we go on.
“At the beginning of the season the referees told us for certain contacts in the box it doesn’t always mean a foul.
“In this situation, there is maybe a little bit of contact maybe but for me it’s not a foul.”
Asked whether he was surprised by the referee overturning his original decision.
“Yes, very surprised,” the boss replied. “It’s meant to be a high bar.”
In the end, the Albion’s late surge underlined their resilience, with Kostoulas’ stunning intervention ensuring the Seagulls stayed competitive until the final whistle.
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