GEORGINIO RUTTER scored a controversial stoppage-time leveller to rescue a point and leave West Ham fuming.
The ball struck the striker’s arm after it bounced off his knee before he saw an initial shot saved by keeper Alphonse Areola — and then converted when he got a second bite of the cherry seconds later.
But VAR deemed that the ball hitting his arm was not the decisive action that led to him scoring and allowed it to stand.
It seemed a crazy decision – because had Areola let the initial shot in it would have been ruled out.
VAR also ruled a high boot from Charalampos Kostoulas on Konstantinos Mavropanos in the build up was not dangerous play.
West Ham had looked set to stage a smash-and-grab win after Jarrod Bowen scored a brilliant goal with 17 minutes left that looked to have got them out of the bottom three
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The Hammers captain looked like he had nowhere to go as he ran on to a Callum Wilson pass with Ferdi Kadioglu in a close attendance.
But he somehow managed to squeeze a shot past the Brighton defender and keeper Bart Verbruggen from the tightest of angles inside the right post.
It sparked wild scenes among the travelling fans as Bowen ran over to them and kissed the badge.
But Rutter’s goal burst their bubbles although Kostantinos Mavropanos almost snatched victory but headed wide at the death.
West Ham welcomed back Lucas Paqueta after serving a one-match ban for his ridiculous heckling of referee Darren England during the 2-0 loss against Liverpool.
Despite the Hammers dropping into the bottom three during the midweek round of games, after a battling 1-1 draw at Manchester United, West Ham have been improving under boss Nuno Espirito Santo.
Despite not managing to hold on to their lead in Sussex, they have only lost once in the last six games.
It was a foul afternoon on the Sussex coast as the heavens opened over the Amex.
But Brighton started brightly without creating anything clear cut.
Yankuba Minteh raced down the right but there was no support in the box and his cross was way too long.
Paqueta threaded a peach of a pass that cut open the Seagulls defence for Crysencio Summerville to run through one-on-one.
But his shot was kept out by Bart Verbruggen.
Fortunately for Summerville he was fractionally offside so it would not have counted anyway.
Mats Wieffer had a dig from distance but his effort was charged down.
Diego Gomez got a talking to by ref Simon Hooper after shoulder barging Mateus Fernandes.
Maxim De Cuyper almost put Brighton ahead direct from a corner but the ball just dropped over the bar.
El Hadji Malick Diouf found acres of space on the left flank but his cross lacked quality,
Wieffer missed an open goal after failing to make any contact to a brilliant De Cuyper cross.
And then Lewis Dunk just failed to convert a header from a corner with Gomez seeing a follow-up shot punched behind by keeper Alphonse Areola.
Verbruggen had to be alert to push away a stinging Paqueta effort from 30 yards.
Gomez smacked a shot over from the edge of the box.
Summerville had a wonderful chance to break the deadlock when Paqueta sent him clear — but the winger curled wide.
Diouf made a vital block to deny Georgino Rutter from 12 yards
The game was beginning to open up and Jarrod Bowen saw an angled effort deflected wide.
After the break West Ham had a nice spell of possession and Diouf on the stretch fired wide.
Dunk got booked after pushing Summerville as he motored forward.
Konstantinos Mavropanos had a free header from a Fernandes Mateus cross but it lacked power to trouble Verbruggen.
The Brighton keeper made two exceptional saves in the space of seconds. First he somehow got down low to keep out a Bowen shot and defied logic and gravity to somehow keep out Summerville’s follow-up scissor kick from point blank range.
Fabian Hurzeler’s men were struggling badly and they brought on Jack Hinshelwood for Carlos Baleba while the Hammers brought on Freddie Potts for Guido Rodriguez.
Hinshelwood saw a mishit cross get caught in the wind which dropped just over the bar.
West Ham appeared to be tiring with 20 minutes left and Yankuba Minteh curled an effort wide.
West Ham broke the deadlock with 16 minutes left.
Jan Paul van Heck’s casual header back was way short and sub Callum Wilson pounced.
He played the forward to Bowen who from a tight angle somehow managed to squeeze a shot into the bottom left corner.
It sparked wild scenes in the away end as Bowen raced to them and kissed the badge.
But the West Ham goal lived a charmed life moments later when Wieffer’s pass took a wild deflection off the back of Max Kilman’s foot.
The ball looped up and rattled the bar.
West Ham almost wrapped up the points when Wilson fired inches wide.
But then came Rutter to snatch a point.
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