Brighton and Hove, Jan 20 (IANS) Charalampos Kostoulas scored a spectacular overhead kick in second-half stoppage time to salvage a point for Brighton & Hove Albion in a 1-1 draw with AFC Bournemouth.
The Cherries had looked set to leave the Amex Stadium with three points, having defended resolutely after Marcus Tavernier scored a 32nd-minute penalty.
Tavernier slotted into the bottom-left corner from the spot after Amine Adli went down under Bart Verbruggen’s challenge, with referee Paul Tierney reversing his initial decision to book the Bournemouth man for simulation following a VAR review, and awarding a penalty instead.
Brighton bossed possession throughout the second half without truly testing Djordje Petrovic, until 18-year-old substitute Kostoulas gave the goalkeeper no chance with his stunning acrobatic effort.
“In the second half we had big opportunities. We wanted to win this game, in the end we have to accept the point, but I think we definitely deserved to win this game.
“We wasted 20 minutes in the first half after the goal and we could use them much more effectively. In the second half we were better in positioning and then I think that we had the game under control and we could score more than one goal,” Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler said.
Following a winless December, Brighton had quietly bolstered their European hopes with an unbeaten start to 2026, and an FA Cup victory at Manchester United last time out continued their positive momentum.
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola added, “It is very harsh, very harsh for us because we were so close to getting the three points. We played a really good first half and had our chances, we scored one and we were controlling the game.
“In the second half we didn’t have the energy to keep these intensity levels and we had to defend a little bit lower, especially after the Brighton subs, but we were doing well. At the end it is an incredible goal from Kostoulas.”
–IANS
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