Brilliant Branthwaite at both ends came so close to another Brighton beating

Brighton & Hove Albion 1- 1 Everton

Everton travel to the Amex Community Stadium to take on Brighton with the ever-present need to secure points away from the Goodison Park pressure cooker.

Injuries continue to be a nagging problem making things more difficult for Sean Dyche, who has found it hard to raise Everton's game in recent fixtures. 

Arnaut Danjuma is still out injured with Dele Alli's Everton career now effectively written off, while Andre Gomes is not fit enough for this trip. Niggles for Mykolenko and Doucoure appear to have been overcome with both being named in the starting lineup.

Ben Godfrey made a fifth consecutive start at right-back. Seamus Coleman and Amadou Onana were on the bench with Ashley Young, dropped in favour of Jack Harrison.  

Brighton kicked off as Hey Jude faded away, Everton in all firey coral or salmon pink. Everton tried the high press but Brighton went long to Adingra who won an early corner off Godfrey, headed clear by Calvert-Lewin but then headed behind by Calvert-Lewin. Rinse and repeat. 

Everton tried a counter but it failed with Harrison. Brighton tried again with the crossfield ball to Adingra, but Godfrey got it away.  But Brighton kept regaining possession and stifling any Everton plays. Brighton advanced and Wellbeck saw a shot deflected wide for another corner, cleared again, but not far.

Adingra was played in again and won another corner, loose ruck in the 6-yard box Calvert-Lewin heading it clear not once but twice, Harrison again letting the counter lapse with a poor pass and once again, that wide ball to Adingra needed Godfrey's diligent attention. 

Welbeck almost got through, overkicking it as Pickford came out and missed it completely! Everton had hardly ventured across the half-way line by this stage, and could only work it all the way back to Pickford. When they did get forward, the Brighton pressure was incessant.

Brantwaite drew a foul that set up a deep Pickford free-kick, Trkowski winning the header but the second ball was lost, Brighton successfully playing out, Welbeck getting fouled. Adingra beat Harrison and Garner had to clear behind, Branthwaite heading the corner, but not far and this time Adingra fouled Mykolenko.  

Welbeck played a clever one-two and Godfrey had to interfere to save a certain goal. Dunk headed the corner this time, straight at a thankful Jordan Pickford. Brighton switched sides to Lamptey and Tarkowski had to stop this attack but the attacking flock of Seagulls kept pushing Everton back.

The Toffees were given a chance to attack through an advanced throw-in but chose to go back to Pickford for the almost aimless hoof. But then Garner played a great ball that almost released Doucoure, Dunk in quickly to tackle him at the expense of an Everton corner that Tarkowski headed at the far post, but away from goal!

Brighton went up the oythe rend and Adingra lashed one inches over the angle. Everton got forward but were dispossessed, Adingra running in to win yet another Brighton corner, this one after a vital interception by Tarkowski. Van Hecke this time headed the corner straight at Pickford. 

Everton went on to mount their best attack so far, initially through Calvert-Lewin picking up a loose ball, but it was mostly chaotic second and third balls that came to nothing and Brighton attacked again.  

Adingra was brilliantly stopped by Gana as he overlapped in much more space. A brilliant outball from Tarkowski was tracked well down the left wing and crossed in at pace by Mykolenko but Calvert-Lewin was the wrong side of Dunk who headed behind, the corner delivered generously to Verbruggen.  

Tarkowski went through the back of Welbeck as he turned, and straight into the referee's book, Welbeck needing treatment. Harrison tried to make something again, but lost the ball… again. Gilmour tried to find Adingra again but Godfrey read this one to head it back to Pickford.

A throw-in was signalled the wrong way, upsetting Godfrey and Dyche in equal measure, another free-kick letting Brighton reset for the next attack, Lamptey winning a corner off Mykolenko.  Dunk heads the ball down for Pickford to collect. 

But Everton still can't play out from the back, Tarkowski eventually playing a good Rugby kick into touch. Brighton got in a decent cross to the far post but too high to cause danger. 

Garner then fouled Gross as he advanced just outside the Everton area, and could have been booked for kicking the ball away on frustration. Welbeck launched it over the wall and the goal. 

Everton played a few midfield passes without really going anywhere, Gana putting too much on his line pass to McNeil.  What looked like a lovely passing sequence down the left found Calvert-Lewin who was this time the right side of him but the ball went behind rather than in the Brighton goal as the offside flag went up (wrongly) before the whistle went for half-time. 

Garner restarted the game for Pickfoed to hoof it upfield and Brighton to win the second ball. Brighton tried to build, while Everton accepted they would have to defend. Igor challenged Calvert-Lewin for an aerial ball and somehow Everton were awarded the free-kick as Onana came on for Gana after he overstretched. 

From Pickford's deep free-kick, it seemed certain that Everton would fashion a decent chance but nothing came of two promising forward moves into the 6-yard box, Branthwaite trying to play in Calvert-Lewin rather than going for goal.  

But the ball was given away and Adingra's cross needed Tarkowski's interception, at the expense of a knee in the face. Welbeck bounced off Tarkowski and Brighton wanted a second yellow, de Zerbi getting one instead. 

Brighton tried a different approach, Mykolenko getting a fine defensive flick ahead of Buonanotte. Everton countered and McNeil was brilliant evading two players and putting a superb deep cross right onto the foot of Doucoure, his superb volley goalbound and beating Verbruggen but there was Lamptey with an impossible goalline clearance that stunned Everton!

Adingra again tried to overlap and Brighton wanted a penalty but Tarkowski's arm was well tucked in. After a triple Brighton change, Duck gifted Everton a corner, McNeil almost found Onana at the far post but he over-jumped. 

Calvert-Lewin injured his back but eventually recovered without treatment. Another Brighton attack was thwarted but Everton could not break out. Adingra crossed in but Tarkowski was well positioned to clear. Everton got forward and it looked promising until Garner was flagged offside. 

Another Brighton attack petered out, with Everton perhaps happy to defend the point they had started with, although Beto given the chance to score in place of Calvert-Lewin. His first involvement was both promising and typically clumsy. At the other end, Ferguson shot straight at Pickford. 

A much more dangerous Brighton attack spawned two or three potential chances to strike, each blocked brilliantly by the Everton defence. Van Hecke then went in hard on Beto. Garner's superb delivery was inches over Beto's ducked head, as he misjudged it, and really should have buried it. 

Enscio came on with full expectation that he would inspire Brighton but in it was Jarrad Branthwaite who produced a superb left-foot strike off Godfrey's second ball out of the ruck at another deep Pickford free-kick to give Everton a massive, massive boost. 

The tempo of the match continued with Brighton doubling down but still unable to really fashion a dangerous threat to Picford's goal. An absolutely FANTASTIC challenge by Branthwaite on Adingra just as he was about to shoot saved Everton from a certain equalizer! 

Everton were still not very good with the ball, Doucoure labouring to feed Beto.

But then a perhaps crucial moment of the game: a straight red card for Gilmour after what didn't seem to be that bad a challenge on Onana, catching him just above the ankle as he twisted around. First sending-off aginst the Toffees? Are things finally changing?

Everton now sensed victory and had to be very disciplined in playing the game out. Ensciso tried to produce some magic but could only scoop his cross over everyone to Pickford. Doucoure brilliantly fed Beto who fought off Dunk to get in a shot but it was shockingly off target. 

Brighton came forward again and Fati's low shot looked for all the world like it was going in but Pickford dropped low to his right and incredibly parried it away. The Brighton pressure from 10 men was at its most dangerous all game. with a real scramble in the Everton area, a header by Branthwaite, a block by Godfrey. before Ensciso committed a foul. 

At the other end, Beto almost got through but then trod on Van Heke's foot, accidentally, surely? But yellow carded. A Brighton free-kick looked dangerous but came through harmlessly to Pickford. 

Another Brighton corner, another tremendous defensive header but it came back to Dunk at the far post via a clever Gross cross that Beto tried to stop three times but couldn't and the Brighton captain's header at the far post from the middle of a sandwich between Onana and Godfrey beat Pickford all hands down to steal a vital 2 points off Everton. 

But Everton were given another late chance when Lallana fouled, but Young's free-kick was clever enough. However, Tarkowsi found Harrison in space with a decent cross that he should really have buried but his shot flew across. 

Mykolenko looked to shoot very late on but it was blocked and that was it. Everton had survived the 10-man onslaught, but only with 1 point instead of 3. 

Brighton & Hove Albion: Verbruggen; Lamptey (60' Veltman), Van Hecke [Y:70'], Dunk, Igor Julio (60' Estupinan); Gros [Y:74'], Gilmour [R:82']; Buonanotte (72' Enciso), Welbeck (60' Fati), Ferguson (75' Lallana), Adingra.

Subs not Used: Webster, Moder, Baleba, Steele.

Everton: Pickford, Godfrey, Tarkowski [Y:33'], Branthwaite, Mykolenko, Gana (49' Onana [Y:90+2']), Garner, Harrison, Doucoure (89' Young), McNeil, Calvert-Lewin (68' Beto [Y:90+1']).

Subs not Used: Virginia, Patterson, Keane, Coleman, Chermiti, Hunt. 

Referee: Tony Harrington 

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