Brilliant by Babis as Albion grab late leveller

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Substitute's stoppage-time equaliser earns Albion a deserved 1-1 draw against Bournemouth.

Bruce Talbot

2026-01-19T22:10+00:00

Babis Kostoulas makes it 1-1 with a brilliant overhead kick. 📷 James Boardman

Substitute Babis Kostoulas rescued a deserved point for Albion with a stoppage-time overhead kick against Bournemouth at the Amex.

Albion seemed to be heading for their first Premier League defeat in five when the Greek striker took a knockdown from Jan Paul van Hecke on his chest and beat Dorde Petrovic with a spectacular scissors kick into the top left corner – his second Premier League goal of the season.

It was no more than Albion deserved for a second-half performance when they played with much more purpose and aggression.

Marcus Tavernier’s controversial 32nd-minute penalty, awarded by referee Paul Tierney after he’d been instructed to look at the pitchside monitor, seemed to have settled a fractious affair.

Carlos Baleba leads the celebrations after Albion's late leveller. 📷James Boardman

But when another substitute, Oliver Boscagli, swung the ball into the box Kostoulas produced a bit of magic – and a certain goal of the season contender.

Albion had started well. In the third minute Ferdi Kadioglu tested Petrovic from outside the box as the hosts stretched the visitors from wide areas. Jack Hinshelwood’s effort from 20 yards was deflected narrowly wide and Brajan Gruda’s fiercely struck right-footer forced Petrovic to fist the ball away.

But the visitors gradually grew in confidence and were soon causing problems on transition with Albion guilty of giving the ball away too often as they lost their early fluency.

Brajan Gruda tip-toes his way through. 📷Paul Hazlewood

Van Hecke made a crucial block in front of his own goal to stop Amine Adil converting Evanilson’s cross before a VAR intervention rocked Albion.

Bart Verbruggen came out to smother Evanilson’s cross and Adil went flying. Referee Tierney, in charge of his first Premier League game since May 2024, initially booked the Bournemouth forward for simulation but VAR Jarred Gillett had spotted the merest of contact on Adil’s right thigh by Verbruggen. The referee was sent to the monitor and awarded a penalty which Tavernier drove left-footed into the bottom corner.

Since promotion in 2017 Albion have both had (55) and conceded (48) the most penalties in the Premier League.

Gruda nearly produced the perfect response but his header from Pascal Gross’s inswinging corner was headed off the line. Bournemouth continued to look threatening though. Evanilson was put clear and struck his shot across Verbruggen but against the post before he headed just wide.

Joel Veltman at full stretch. 📷Paul Hazlewood

Only two sides have won more than Albion’s 13 points from losing positions and when Gruda found Kaoru Mitoma on the edge of the box he wasn’t far away with a right-foot shot which had Petrovic scrambling to his left.

Albion made a triple change on the hour with Carlos Baleba, Yankuba Minteh and Georginio all coming on and when Baleba chased back 40 yards to dispossess Alex Jiminez it got the crowd on their feet.

But Petrovic had had little to do until the 83rd minute when he pushed Minteh’s volley over at full stretch. Van Hecke then scuffed a presentable chance over from 12 yards but Albion committed more men forward against a tiring opponent and it felt like an equaliser was coming.

Jan Paul van Hecke tries to find a way through. 📷Paul Hazlewood

Kostoulas provided it and Albion sensed there might be a winner with Baleba testing Petrovic. As it was, the point kept Albion within six points of the top four.

Albion: Verbruggen, Veltman, van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu (Boscagli 89), Mitoma, Hinshelwood (Baleba 65), Gross, Gruda (Minteh 65), Gomez (Rutter 65), Welbeck (Kostoulas 77).