Matheus Cunha claws back late point for Wolves in comeback at Brighton

Gary O’Neil’s Wolves have rarely been faulted for a lack of effort. To play well and still lose is not a positive sign, despite myriad hard-luck stories. While their manager’s piercing blue eyes may regularly blaze with a sense of injustice at officialdom and VAR, individual mistakes, star players sold in the summer and lapses of concentration pile up. Here, at last, the hard work, the flashes of quality paid off. Wolves fought to the end when all seemed lost, mounting a thrilling two-goal comeback capped by Matheus Cunha’s last-second equaliser.

Danny Welbeck’s 45th-minute goal had undone Wolves’ solid first-half efforts, while in the second half, the quality of the visitors’ finishing let them down before Evan Ferguson’s first goal of the season put Brighton two up. Would O’Neil survive until next Saturday’s meeting with fellow strugglers Crystal Palace? It seemed unlikely.

Fabian Hürzeler, Brighton’s wunderkind manager, is learning valuable lessons, and should do so from a game allowed to slip from his team’s grasp. At Brighton, he will be given time to learn from such mistakes. For O’Neil, whose team last won in the league against Luton in April, the time for experimentation has long expired, even if Tommy Doyle’s midfield passing range being employed from the start suggested a change of tack.

Welbeck, recovered from the back injury sustained at Newcastle, was fit to lead the Brighton forward line and the home team began with a dominance of possession, before the best early chance fell to Doyle, laid on by the running of Matheus Cunha, but was clanked over Bart Verbruggen’s goal. Welbeck, dominant in the air, next clipped a header wide as the contest opened up. Rayan Aït-Nouri’s interpretation of left wing-back as a free role saw him make his trademark runs across the span of the Amex pitch. In him, João Gomes and Cunha, Wolves do not lack individual flair but a lack of solidity is what continues to cost them.

In a hard-fought first half, O’Neil, understandably, was the antsier of the managers in the technical area. José Sá, questioned for his submissive role in City’s late winner last week, made a fine full-length save from a thunderstruck Carlos Baleba shot. Shaun Derry, assuming the role of the recently discarded set-piece coach, Jack Wilson, rousted Wolves’ defenders into the correct positions as the corners piled up for Brighton.

It seemed Wolves might see out the first half, only for Ferdi Kadioglu’s pass to find Georginio Rutter in position to lay up Welbeck for a simple finish and his sixth of the season. The evergreen Mancunian is in the form of his life and O’Neil was left to wonder how his defence had been breached so easily.

Half-time brought two O’Neil changes, Pablo Sarabia and Carlos Forbs for Toti and Mario Lemina. The attacking switches mirrored Brighton’s shape and suggested O’Neil was going for broke. Such boldness did not immediately change the direction of traffic; Brighton continued to be on the front foot but gradually, Wolves gained more territory.

That left space in which Brighton could counter and Welbeck should have done better when Sarabia inadvertently played him through. Yasin Ayari, a buzzing presence in midfield, also shot wide when Wolves again lost the ball in a dangerous area.

Then came Wolves’ best chance yet. Sarabia’s laser-guided pass finding Cunha, his finish rather less accurate. Cunha next forced Verbruggen into his first proper save as Wolves sought an equaliser and possible redemption for their manager, by now in perpetual sideline motion, unable to shield his anxiety. Santiago Bueno’s header forced another save, and Hürzeler into changes, Welbeck withdrawn for Ferguson. The chances kept falling to Wolves, but Jørgen Strand Larsen could only head into Verbruggen’s hands. Mats Wieffer’s extra height was then – fatefully – introduced by Hürzeler.

Ferguson’s goal, set up by his fellow substitute Tariq Lamptey, might have extinguished Wolves and O’Neil’s fire, only for Aït-Nouri to scramble home, and set up a chase for an equaliser. Cunha, after Wieffer had refused the chance to hold the ball in the corner, set off a solo run, the ball pinging off Jan Paul van Hecke’s ankle and in. O’Neil celebrated like any man granted such salvation would.