Just when it seemed that 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 18-year-old Kostoulas found himself facing away from the Bournemouth goal near the penalty spot when the ball bounced towards him in the first minute of injury time. A touch on his chest bought time to set himself, before a wonderful bicycle kick sent the Amex Stadium wild.
It meant the spoils were shared and ensured the game was not decided by the belated award of a first-half penalty that had sent anyone of a Brighton disposition into a fury. The spot-kick had not initially been given – the referee, Paul Tierney, instead punishing Amine Adli for what he deemed to be a dive. He then changed his mind and pointed to the spot after viewing the pitchside monitor and identifying that the Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen’s leg had touched the Moroccan as he tumbled to the ground. How much contact is too much contact? Does anyone even know any more?
Marcus Tavernier duly converted and, for so long, it looked likely to be the game’s only goal. But Kostoulas’s late acrobatics denied Bournemouth a first away win since August.
“For me it’s not a penalty,” said Fabian Hürzeler, who also expressed his anger at what he deemed was Bournemouth time-wasting late on. “But we have to accept that people make mistakes. In this situation, it’s contact a little bit, but it’s not a foul.”
Asked whose errors were to blame, he replied: “Everyone who was involved in this situation. I’m very surprised. It doesn’t make sense. The whole process doesn’t make sense.
“A touch and a contact is not enough, and that is what the referees said to us before the start of the season. And in certain moments they don’t do it – that’s just the truth, and we’ve got to accept it.”
That Bournemouth could not quite hold on to their lead – visibly wilting as the match wore on – was perhaps no surprise given their current player predicament. Injuries and departures have robbed Andoni Iraola of his squad depth, meaning he had four academy players on the substitutes’ bench and precious few attacking options to call upon.
The goalscorer Tavernier also departed in the second half with what Iraola suggested was a hamstring injury. The Bournemouth manager confirmed that the club are expected to finalise a deal for the Ferencvaros midfielder Alex Toth on Tuesday, but he called for more signings to be made this month. “We are in a very delicate situation,” Iraola said.
“You could see today. We are demanding the same players to play every game, every minute. The players are giving us everything. We definitely need help – it’s very clear. The club is working on signing new players. Everyone understands.”
Although Bournemouth’s goal arrived in controversial fashion, it was reward for their first-half dominance that answered Iraola’s demands to start quickly, given the likelihood that his players would tire as the match progressed.
For all that Brighton enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, the hosts had nothing like the threat of their opponents whenever they ventured into the final third – the forward quartet of Tavernier, Eli Junior Kroupi, Adli and Evanilson repeatedly exhibiting their ability to cause problems for opposition defenders in Bournemouth’s post-Antoine Semenyo era.
The home crowd made their sentiments abundantly clear when booing the referee both off the pitch at the end of the first period and back on to it after the break. Their fury was exacerbated by Tierney ignoring Brighton’s own penalty appeals, and it was frequently piqued when Bournemouth players attempted to wind the clock down through various methods as it ticked towards 90 minutes.
By that point, Kostoulas had replaced Danny Welbeck up front for Brighton. With Bournemouth sitting ever deeper, the hosts threatened with increasing frequency until the Greek teenager struck in memorable fashion.
“That was unbelievable,” the Brighton captain, Lewis Dunk, said of Kostoulas’s goal. “He’s a special talent. You’ve seen glimpses, and there will be many more things to come from him.”
Of most importance was Brighton’s failure to win. Hürzeler’s side have now been victorious just once in nine league games as they struggle to launch a bid for European qualification. “Our performance wasn’t good enough,” the manager said. “We have to take responsibility.”
