- Albion secure a 1-1 draw at a rainy St Andrew’s
- Maikel Kieftenbeld’s 25-yard strike gives the hosts the lead
- Lewis Dunk and Anthony Knockaert test the Birmingham goalkeeper
- Yves Bissouma levelled the match with a free-kick in the last minute
Brighton & Hove Albion scored in the last minute to secure a 1-1 draw with Birmingham City in the rainy West Midlands.
The conditions set the scene for a scrappy start to the match with both teams struggling to gain a foothold.
In the early stages, both teams were limited to half-chances, with the hosts arguably having the better of the play.
After seven minutes, goalkeeper Mat Ryan’s misplaced pass out from the back fell to Jota, but the Spanish midfielder could only fire the ball over the bar.
Good play from Blues winger Jacques Maghoma out on the left forced the defence back and only a deflection saw the ball narrowly pass wide of Ryan’s post.
Albion’s best chance came in the 24th minute when Solly March’s lay-off to Pascal Gross was hit over opposing goalkeeper Connal Trueman’s crossbar.
The hosts continued to break well on the counter and in the 31st minute, good play out wide from Che Adams resulted in a cross that has deflected out to the edge of the area and fell nicely to Maikel Kieftenbeld, who unleashed a fine 25-yard strike into the top right-hand corner.
Chris Hughton’s half-time team talk has a positive effect on the team at the start of the second-half, as Albion were able to assert more control in the midfield.
With 53 minutes on the clock, Pascal Gross beat the offside trap, but Trueman was quick off his line to close him down. The German managed to pull the ball back to Anthony Knockaert, but his effort was blocked by the Blues defence.
The Frenchman then tested Trueman for the first time with a 20-yard strike that was parried wide.
He was involved in the thick of the action again, when he sent an enticing ball to the back post, but Lewis Dunk’s effort from just a few yards out was saved by Birmingham’s young goalkeeper.
The hosts still managed to carve out a couple of chances of their own, as Adams's shot narrowly wide with Ryan at full stretch, and a close range Jutkiewicz header was blocked by the Albion defence.
As the game drew to a close, it looked like defeat was on the cards for the Seagulls, but on the stroke of 90 minutes, new boy Yves Bissouma was brought down on the edge of the area.
The Malian managed to dust himself down to rifle a powerful free-kick into the top corner of the goal with the last kick of the game.
ALBION: Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk (Balogun), Bernardo; Knockaert, Stephens, Propper, March; Gross (Bissouma); Murray (Hemed).
SUBS NOT USED: Button, White, Gyokeres, Suttner.