January 31, (THEWILL) — Beto rescued a dramatic point for Everton with a 97th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Brighton and Hove Albion at the American Express Stadium. The substitute struck on his birthday to deny the hosts what would have been only their second victory in 11 English Premier League matches.
Pascal Gross had put Brighton ahead in the 73rd minute, sweeping home from Yasin Ayari’s cross. The goal came somewhat against the flow of play, with Everton having improved considerably after a toothless first half in which they failed to muster a single shot.
The Toffees created several opportunities after the interval. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fired just wide before goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen denied him from close range following Thierno Barry’s pass. James Tarkowski saw a header cleared off the line by team-mate Jake O’Brien in another moment of promise.
Gross’s strike appeared to have settled the contest for Brighton. The midfielder had returned to the club recently and broke the deadlock with a composed finish from Ayari’s delivery into the box.
Deep into stoppage time, Beto completed the turnaround. Verbruggen could only parry O’Brien’s effort into the path of the Portuguese forward, who fired home to spark wild celebrations among the travelling supporters.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
