Van Hecke’s late leveller a sore point for Strand Larsen

Jorgen Strand Larsen, denied a £55m move to Newcastle at the end of the transfer window, remonstrated angrily with the home team’s coaching staff on the full-time whistle after he had been substituted late on as, for the second successive week, Wolves’ bid to get their season up and running was stymied by a late equaliser.

- Peter Lansley

The Norway striker, recently back from an achilles injury, had just shot against a post, with Wolves leading through Bart Verbruggen’s own goal, as Brighton pushed for the leveller that duly arrived from Jan Paul van Hecke. Vitor Pereira, the Wolves head coach, had been dismissed just before the Premier League’s bottom side went ahead in the first half, when Marshall Munetsi’s volley rebounded off the bar, the goalkeeper and in.

Fabian Hiirzeler’s side deserved a point for their second-half dominance but Wolves, after conceding in stoppage time to draw at Tottenham, had looked as if they were going to hang on for the first topflight victory of the season. Strand Larsen looked Wolves’ best bet for a second goal and the home team were less able to get out from their low block with the slighter Jhon Arias leading the line.