Christian Benteke ‘s stoppage time volley secured a stunning 2-1 win at Crystal Palace at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Monday, despite the visitors being the second best place for much of the competition.
Palace took the lead when loan signing Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his first goal in English football with an unprepared finish in the 28th minute.
Brighton improved after the break and pulled level in the 55th minute through Joel Veltman, who swept home the first goal for Graham Potter’s side when the loose ball broke in the penalty area.
The chances continued to come for Brighton as they finished the game after receiving 25 hits at the goal.
But Palace, from just three attempts, scored twice, with Benteke catching up with the winner to break Brighton ‘s hearts in the 95th minute.
The Palace win moved up to 13th in the standings on 32 points. Brighton remained 16th on 26 points, four points clear of the relegation zone.
“This is a great result,” Benteke told Sky Sports. “We know we play derby against a very good side.
“It wasn’t easy, they got back in the game in the second half. We put our lives on the line, tried to defend it as much as we could and I had a chance to score a good goal. ”
Brighton came into the game unbeaten in their last six league games, but it was Palace who hit first. The finish was elegant as Mateta, on loan from Bundesliga side Mainz 05, allowed the ball to come through his feet before re-inserting it.
Mateta’s opener was the first goal Brighton had conceded on home ground in the Premier League in 343 minutes, but their defense was rarely a concern after that.
Brighton’s finish let them down again and again, and only five of their 25 attempts on goal hit the target.
“It’s sad, really painful, we did everything but get the points,” Potter told Sky Sports.
“They were in our box I think twice and they got two. That’s the beauty of football but it doesn’t feel so beautiful right now, it feels painful. ”
Benteke moved on to Andros Townsend’s cross to get an unlikely victory with his first league goal since mid-December.