Brighton 1-2 Newcastle: Ayoze Perez slots late winner as Rafa Benitez's side complete dramatic comeback against promotion rivals.

Chaotic scenes in box from corner lead to referee giving penalty for wrestling 

Glenn Murray was hauled down and converted spot kick low into left corner 

Newcastle failed to convert their first-half chances and went into break trailing

Mohamed Diame scored bizarre equaliser with richochet off his ankle 

Ayoze Perez then came off bench to calmly side-foot winner in 89th minute 

It was the sort of good fortune upon which a season can hinge. Indeed, if defined flukey. Hilarious, even. 

Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle were heading for a defeat which would have left them in a scrap for second position and contemplating the previously implausible possibility of missing out on automatic promotion, especially with a trip to third-placed Huddersfield next up.

But then, with nine minutes remaining, they won a corner. It was delivered by Matt Ritchie and fisted clear by David Stockdale. Danger gone, you presumed. Wrong. What followed was laced with comedy and luck.

Ayoze Perez slotted the winning goal with a cool side-foot in the 89th minute 

The Newcastle players embraced their goal-scoring hero in front of disconsolate home fans

Perez came on as a replacement for Yohan Gouffran and made a significant impact

Mohamed Diame celebrates after inadvertently scoring the equaliser for his side

A scuffed shot hit the ankle of Diame before looping past the floundering David Stockdale

Diame got a huge stroke of luck as his attempt to flick the ball into the box flew into the net