Keeper Trafford the hero as struggling Burnley draw 1-1 at Brighton

Updated: Dec 9, 2023, 05:48 pm

Simon Adingra's header cancelled out a superb strike by Wilson Odobert as Brighton & Hove Albion came back from a goal down to grab a 1-1 Premier League draw at home to Burnley on Saturday, with keeper Jack Trafford excelling for the visitors.

The 21-year-old shot-stopper pulled off a string of fine saves in second-half stoppage time to keep his side in it after a heroic defensive display against a sluggish Brighton side who struggled to manufacture any sense of urgency in their play.

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Brighton's Pascal Gross came close to opening the scoring in the 28th minute when he ran at the goal from the right before firing a low shot towards the bottom near corner in an effort to surprise Trafford, but the keeper was alive to the danger.

The hosts dominated possession and had decent chances to break the deadlock before the 19-year-old Odobert gave his relegation-threatened side the lead against the run of play, cutting in from the right and checking back before firing a shot into the top-left corner just before the break.

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Brighton coach Roberto De Zerbi sent on Kaoru Mitoma for Adam Lallana at halftime and the Japan international created plenty, but it was Gross who provided the cross for Adingra to head the ball back across the goal and in at the far post.

As Burnley's energy reserves wore down, Trafford stepped up with a number of saves in stoppage time to thwart Brighton, with a superb dive to tip an angled Mitoma volley over the bar being the pick of the bunch.

In all, Trafford saved nine of Brighton's 10 shots on target, and afterwards the keeper said he was somewhat disappointed that his side had earned only one point from the game.

"It's definitely a hard-earned point, coming to Brighton, not many get a point here. We got a goal and managed the game, (but) we're quite disappointed we didn't hold on," he told the BBC, adding that he had not planned to be the hero.

"I just saved their shots! If shots come I try to save them. You dust yourself down and go again. It's one of principles as a team to not have many gaps in between the lines. We got tired at times," he said.

The draw sees his side, who are at home to fellow strugglers Everton next weekend, remain second from bottom of the table on eight points, while Brighton are eighth on 26 points