Van Hecke Saves Point for Brighton & Hove Albion Following Bart Verbruggen's Costly Error Versus Wolverhampton Wanderers

The Norwegian striker, after being a major transfer collapse late in the window, appeared frustratedly confronting his team's coaching staff when the match ended. This came after his late substitution, shortly post he struck the post with Wolves leading thanks to the Brighton goalkeeper's unfortunate deflection. The Seagulls pushed for a last-gasp equaliser, which came through defender Van Hecke.

Wolves Denied Once More by Last-Minute Goal

This marks the second straight match, Wolves' bid to get their season underway was thwarted by a late tying goal. Vítor Pereira had been sent off shortly prior to the Premier League's bottom side took the lead, when a Munetsi volley rebounded from the crossbar and in off the opposition goalkeeper.

Fabian Hürzeler's side deserved a point for their after-interval control, but Wolves, for the second game in a row following their draw at Tottenham, appeared as if they were going to hold out for a maiden league win of the campaign before conceding a last-minute equaliser.

Match Turns with Incidents

Strand Larsen looked Wolves' most likely source for a crucial additional goal, and the home team looked struggling to get out with Arias leading the line. The game exploded into life in the heart of the first half.

Pereira was furious at the referee's call not to award a set-piece when João Gomes was jostled by Baleba midway in the opposition half. Then, after the official cautioned Baleba for an entirely more obvious foul on Hugo Bueno, the red card was issued to the Wolves manager for kicking a spare ball from a marker at the referee's technical area. Even though he promptly said sorry, it was evidently a reckless action. The fire had been ignited.

When a long free-kick into the visitors' 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 true powerful of a shot goalwards. Even though the keeper managed to deflect the ball onto the underside of the bar, it bounced back and over the line off the shot-stopper's glove.

One almost turned into two, only for the Brighton keeper to very deliberately tip Ladislav Krejci's headed effort, from a further high angled set-piece, to safety. The visitors, with their deeply strong record at Molineux – they had taken victory in their previous four matches here – and a positive beginning to the campaign to boot, broke forward with sporadic threat.

After the Break Action

When Jackson Tchatatchoua underhit a back-pass, Gruda was entitled to challenge Sam Johnstone for the ball, though he did catch the Wolves goalkeeper with his follow-through. After a niggly spell, the importance of the next goal became increasingly apparent. It almost fell Wolves' favor, early in the second half, only for Jhon Arias to place over the bar from close range after a superb counterattack spearheaded by Larsen, after he enabled Hwang to invite the advancing Bueno to deliver low.

Brighton, a little undercooked in the opening 45, looked stronger for the introducing of Rutter and, from Yankuba Minteh's left-side delivery, the replacement could hardly have struck his shot any more sweetly.

Johnstone, though, justifying his selection in the starting lineup ahead of Sá, leapt back to his right to save. Hürzeler had already asked Ayari to man the base of his engine room on his by himself, leading Brighton to more possession control, when he introduced the forward Stefanos Tzimas to partner Welbeck in the frontline, with Diego Gómez just in support of them.

Final Drama as Van Hecke Scores

Brighton have scored more times against Wolves than against any other team in the Premier League. But Wolves were set to hang on to what they had and so came close to putting the game away when Larsen shot against the base of the upright. The Norwegian forward, yet to regain peak condition after an Achilles injury, appeared far from happy when he was taken off moments later as Luis Miguel, the manager's assistant, looked to secure the win. The move failed though as Brighton equalised with 4 minutes remaining.

Wolves felt the ball had already gone out for a goal-kick when Tchatatchoua made sure by nudging it forward. From Minteh's short set-piece, Maxim De Cuyper crossed and, after Tzimas got a slight touch, Van Hecke powered in only his second goal in 77 league games for the team.