Dunk earns Brighton draw with Everton

LEWIS DUNK’S stoppage-time header condemned Everton to another Premier League draw as 10man Brighton salvaged a point at Amex Stadium.

Both goals came from central defenders as Dunk headed home Pascal Gross’ cross five minutes into time added on to cancel out Jarrad Branthwaite’s superb opener.

Branthwaite had produced a forward’s finish to break the deadlock, arrowing a first-time shot into the top corner from 15 yards when a free-kick fell at his feet.

It seemed Everton were on course for a vital victory in their battle to avoid relegation when Brighton’s Billy Gilmour was then sent off for a studsup lunge on Amadou Onana’s ankle.

But Dunk’s header extended the Toffees’ winless League run to nine games and they sit just a point above the relegation zone, having played a match more than 18th-placed Luton.

Brighton, meanwhile, remain seventh but have several rivals for European qualification breathing down their necks.

“We are playing with a lot of – too many – injuries, especially in attack, so we are losing a lot of important points and places in the table,” said frustrated Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi.

“Our table could be different if you analyse how many chances we created in respect of the opponent – today was like Fulham, Burnley, Sheffield United and we lost another two points.”

The Toffees “smash and grab” plan seemed to have worked when Branthwaite produced a sumptuous strike to put them ahead.

But they were left to rue substitute Beto blazing over a decent chance to seal the points.

“These are the defining moments and we haven’t quite found them over the past run of games,” Dyche said of Beto’s opportunity.

“It’s an easy thing to say, why aren’t your strikers scoring, why don’t you make them score? If it was that easy we’d all have strikers who are scoring 25 a season wouldn’t we?”