Brighton 1-1 Everton: Lewis Dunk's late equaliser rescues a point for the 10-man Seagulls after Jarrad Branthwaite fired the visitors in front at the Amex

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This was an opportunity missed by Everton. 

A goal up, a man up and minutes away from their first league win since December, only for Lewis Dunk to equalise in injury time and rescue a point for ten-man Brighton. 

Sean Dyche admitted earlier in the week that he didn’t have a clue about when Everton would hear the outcome of their appeal against their ten-point deduction.

There is even the possibility of the outcome of the second charge not getting decided until after the end of the season. 

So all the more reason for Everton to try to control their own destiny. With 17 minutes to go here, centre-half Jarrad Branthwaite produced a strikers finish and when Billy Gilmour was sent off for Brighton in the 81st minute, it should have been a formality. 

Lewis Dunk's stoppage-time header rescued a point for Brighton against Everton at the Amex

The 32-year-old denied Sean Dyche's side their first Premier League win since December

Jarrad Branthwaite had given the Toffee's the lead with a superb finish on 73 minutes

Victory would have put Everton three points clear of the drop but Dyche refused to admit that it was an opportunity missed. His side are now winless in nine.

‘It’s reality. It’s a good point and another valuable point,’ said Dyche. 

‘Before the game, you’d take a point. It’s a tough place to come. We should be on 31 points, don’t forget,’ he added.

His counterpart Roberto De Zerbi insisted that Brighton deserved all three. ‘We lost two points. We deserved to win,’ said the Brighton boss. 

It began as an afternoon of celebration on the South coast, with Simon Adingra given the honour of walking out on the pitch before everyone else after his success at the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast. 

Brighton dominated possession but didn’t make it count and it was Everton who came closest to initially breaking the deadlock through a superb volley from Abdoulaye Doucoure, only for Tariq Lamptey to superbly head away on the goalline. 

On the hour mark, De Zerbi made a triple substitution as Brighton pushed but Everton held firm, with Tarkowski’s last-gasp block denying Ansu Fati. 

Minutes later, Pickford launched a free-kick up that fell to the feet of Branthwaite, who took one touch with his right foot, before arrowing a stunning left-footed strike into the top corner and the 3,000 away fans who had made the 550-mile round trip bounced with joy on the South Stand. 

It went from bad to worse for Brighton when Gilmour was given a straight red card for a nasty tackle on Amadou Onana and with the man advantage, Everton should have seen it out. 

Nine minutes were added on and in the fifth, Pascal Gross’s cross was met by a leaping Dunk who guided a fantastic header past Pickford. 

The first headed goal Everton have conceded all season. A terrible time to do so.

Billy Gilmour was sent off after a clumsy challenge on Amadou Onana in the closing stages

But, even reduced to ten men, the hosts pressed on and were rewarded with Dunk's header