Arijanet Muric stars as Ipswich earn a point at Brighton

Arijanet Muric went from international zero to Ipswich hero by securing his side a point from a goalless draw at Brighton.

Muric was one of three players sent home early from the Kosovo squad last week for an alleged breach of their rules.

But the 25-year-old was firmly in Ipswich’s good books with a stunning double save before half-time.

Muric dived to his right to keep out Georginio Rutter’s shot from eight yards out, and then picked himself back up off the deck to somehow deny Kaoru Mitoma a tap-in at the far post.

It meant Ipswich doubled their points tally for the season, although they almost snatched an unlikely win when a Liam Delap solo effort hit a post.

Muric was busy from the first whistle, getting down sharply to tip Carlos Baleba’s shot from the edge of the box wide.

Brighton went on to dominate the first half but were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net in the first half with Rutter, Yankuba Minteh and Danny Welbeck all opting to pass when a shot looked more profitable.

Mitoma then latched on to Welbeck’s flick and burst through but his touch was too heavy and Muric collected.

After Muric made sure Ipswich got to half-time without conceding, moments into the second half Rutter looked to have sent Welbeck through on goal but Dara O’Shea slid in to make a goal-saving block.

Rutter, starting his first Premier League match for Brighton following his summer switch from Leeds, then had a shot deflected off target before Welbeck curled a free-kick inches wide.

The Seagulls were almost made to pay for those missed chances when, from out of nothing, Delap ran the length of the pitch, outpacing Yasin Ayari and Jan Paul van Hecke, before clipping his angled shot against the far post.

It was Ipswich’s first shot in anger all afternoon, and celebrations in the away end followed when they forced their first corner, 64 minutes into the match.

Still, the visitors were at last showing some ambition and Joel Veltman, fresh from his supporting role in Declan Rice’s red card in the draw at Arsenal a fortnight ago, had to be on his toes to deny Omari Hutchinson an effort on goal.

Brighton brought on £25million Turkey midfielder Ferdi Kadioglu, but his first act in a blue and white shirt was to lose the ball to Hutchinson, who scampered through on goal only to shoot too close to Bart Verbruggen.

Muric made more saves from Julio Enciso and Mitoma before Seagulls substitute Evan Ferguson almost won it with a curler which flew just wide.