Hughton aggrieved Brighton denied penalty against Stoke after draw

Stoke's Shawcross concedes opponents referee 'did not have best angle' as Premier League game ends 2-2

Ryan Shawcross of Stoke City heads the ball during their Premier League match against Brighton at Amex Stadium. Mike Hewitt / Getty Images

Brighton & Hove Albion twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Stoke City in Monday’s Premier League match, but Chris Houghton’s side were aggrieved that they were not awarded a 39th-minute penalty – something Stoke captain Ryan Shawcross conceded should have been given after his tackle on Glenn Murray.

“I think I clipped him,” Shawcross said of a mis-timed challenge. “The referee didn’t have the best angle. It was probably a penalty.”

“I had a very good view of it and straight away I thought it was a penalty,” Brighton manager Houghton said. “There are two officials who can make a judgement on that. I was 50 yards away and I could see it, the linesman was right there. It makes it tougher to take. It’s a penalty, my view hasn’t changed.”

The draw meant that Stoke avoided their worst ever start to a Premier League season. They remain three points above the relegation zone with three wins from 12 games, but their manager Mark Hughes, who did not think it was a penalty, was satisfied with the away point and said: “Overall we were in control of the game. We are resilient, that’s two away games in a row without being beaten.”

Stoke’s 28th-minute opener came after Xherdan Shaqiri played a ball over the top of the Brighton defence. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who scored twice against Manchester United in September, controlled the pass with a first touch and pushed the ball into the bottom corner.

Brighton equalised after 44 minutes when Davy Proper ran from midfield past four defenders before crossing low for Pascal Gross to strike home. The lead last two minutes before Darren Fletcher’s corner was not cleared and was headed across the goal by Choupo-Moting before Kurt Zouma, on loan from Chelsea, headed in.

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Brighton’s equaliser came after an hour when Dale Stephens’s cross was not cleared by Zouma and Murray set up Jose Izquierdo with a reverse pass. Kevin Wimmer initially blocked the Colombian, but he finished at the second attempt.

“An away point is a good result,” Hughes said. “But we’re a bit disappointed because we twice got ourselves into a winning position and conceded goals that could have been avoided.”