West Ham United looked set to check-out of Amex Stadium with three precious points on Sunday, only for Brighton to peg them back with a controversial late, late, leveller.
Played out in torrential rain and gusty winds, this disjointed contest was about to enter its final quarter-hour, when Jarrod Bowen put the Hammers ahead with an expertly-taken opener.
But there was to be an equally stormy finish beside the seaside as the game headed into stoppage time and Georginio Rutter survived a Video Assistant Referee review to salvage a 1-1 draw for the Seagulls.
In a frantic finale, the relieved French striker had handled in the build-up, while Greek substitute Charalampos Kostoulas also escaped punishment for a raised boot on airborne compatriot Konstantinos Mavropanos, while attempting an overhead kick, moments earlier.
Certainly, the enraged Nuno Espírito Santo could not disguise his anger after seeing an almost certain first away win since taking charge of West Ham, snatched from his grasp.
“There was a handball and there did not just ‘appear’ to be a high boot,” fumed the Hammers head coach. “It’s very clear and I just cannot understand why the Video Assistant Referee gave the goal because both situations should’ve been checked.
“This is very hard to take but it’s finished now. My players should be very proud of their performance but sometimes in football you have to accept that you can be on the other side of decisions.”
Following a similar, industrious 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Thursday evening, Nuno had made four changes, recalling fit-again Crysencio Summerville plus Maximilian Kilman and Guido Rodriguez, while Lucas Paquetá also returned from suspension.
“We played a tough game against Manchester United so I needed to look at my options and find solutions,” he explained.
“On days like these we need our entire squad because this game meant a lot to us and Brighton are an amazing team. We started well and created chances while Alphonse Areola did not find himself having to deal with too many situations.”
With the Hammers looking more threatening in the first-half, both Paquetá and Bowen drew saves from Bart Verbruggen while Summerville wastefully curled wide, too.
On the hour, the defiant Dutch keeper denied both Bowen and Summerville with brilliant one-handed saves but he was powerless to stop the West Ham skipper from breaking the deadlock on 73 minutes.
Stepping from the bench in place of Summerville, the ever-alert Callum Wilson quickly collected Jan Paul van Hecke’s misplaced header and played in Bowen, who got behind Ferdi Kadioglu before firing a tightly-angled 10-yarder across the face of Verbruggen and into the far corner.
But with the game entering additional time, Rutter swooped to rescue that point for the Seagulls with his highly debatable equaliser.
“It’s hard to take after all the hard work that the boys put in and all the support our fans have given us today. It was just like playing at home,” concluded Nuno, whose 18th-placed side now face Aston Villa -in third - at London Stadium on Sunday (kick-off 2 pm).
“Everyone is returning to London with just one point and I am so disappointed but now we must just move on to the next game.”
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