Burnley assistant manager Craig Bellamy refused to pin any blame on Aro Muric after a horrible mistake from the goalkeeper cost the relegation-battling Clarets in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton.

Five minutes after Josh Brownhill’s opportunistic goal had given Burnley a late lead, Muric let a routine back pass from Sander Berge slip under his foot and in.

Muric has spent most of this season on the bench after Vincent Kompany signed James Trafford in the summer, but the Kosovan, a key part of Burnley’s promotion-winning side last term, dislodged the England Under-21 keeper in March, coinciding with an improvement in Burnley’s form.

And Bellamy, taking the place of Kompany who was serving a touchline ban, said the team had to take responsibility for the mistake because of the way they choose to play out from the back.

“It’s us,” Bellamy said. “It’s not his mistake, it’s our mistake. Do we call it a mistake? I don’t know. It’s how we play. It ain’t going to change. He’s scored goals for us, doing what he does. It’s one of those, it’s not an issue.

“It’s how we play football. It might not please everyone. We’re not here to please everyone, but we believe in this way of football. It might be naive, I don’t know.

“I have a three-year-old girl who still believes in rainbows and unicorns. That might be me. I honestly believe we’re going to get out of this situation, I believe we’re going to stay up. Maybe I’m naive. Maybe I’m the one believing in rainbows and unicorns and it’s actually got to my head.

“But at the same time, I’ve no issue with it. Aro is top. Get the ball again, look for the pass again. You see the save he makes in the last minute. Top. That to me is a goalkeeper. We all make mistakes, it’s how you respond from it. So I’ve got nothing but praise for him, even more.”

Burnley’s goal also came from a back pass, with Carlos Baleba under-hitting a ball to Bart Verbruggen and Brownhill racing after it, with the keeper’s clearance rebounding off him and into the net.

But the bigger frustration was with the chances Burnley missed earlier in the game, with opportunities for Jacob Bruun Larsen and David Fofana going begging – moments that would cost them by the end.

“We played well, especially in the first half,” Bellamy said. “We had good opportunities and should have scored. Coming in from the first half we were a little bit disappointed we weren’t 1-0 or 2-0 up, but that can be football.”

While Burnley rued two lost points, it was yet another draw for injury-hit Brighton – their 11th of the campaign, more than any other side.

Roberto De Zerbi began with the day without nine players through injury and lost Pervis Estupinan only 13 minutes in, leaving the manager to admit their hopes of returning to Europe next season are in peril as they sit 10th in the table.

“It was a fair result,” the Italian said. “For me, we didn’t deserve to win the game, but I think we didn’t deserve to lose the game. We suffered especially in the first 20 minutes, we suffered badly, but after that time, in the last 70 minutes we played a good game but not a great game.

“We are not in the right condition to play great games. In these moments we are suffering, we are spending tough moments, but we have to fight how we did, with pride, with our qualities.

“It is a tough moment, we have a lot of injuries. We are too many points from the high positions to reach our European target. I don’t know. Maybe it can happen.”

A dreadful mistake from goalkeeper Aro Muric cost Burnley dear in a 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton that could prove decisive in the relegation battle.

Moments after Josh Brownhill had capitalised on a poor back pass from Carlos Baleba to put the Clarets on course for a victory that would have left them four points from safety, Muric let a routine pass from Sander Berge slip under his foot and dribble into the net, leaving the gap at six.

In a season in which Vincent Kompany’s men have still only won two home league games, it was an awful way to squander two points and the confidence victory would have given Burnley with only five games left to play.

Kompany, serving a touchline ban, had already seen his side waste glorious chances to go ahead, with both Jacob Bruun Larsen and David Fofana guilty of poor misses, although the same could also be said of a Brighton side who had 20 attempts at goal, but needed an own goal to avoid defeat.

Burnley wanted a penalty seven minutes in when Wilson Odobert, having been slipped in by Lyle Foster, was left in a heap by Pervis Estupinan, but referee Simon Hooper was entirely unmoved, deeming he had taken the ball before the man.

It was Estupinan’s only involvement of real note before the Ecuadorian was forced off after only 13 minutes, replaced by Igor Julio, to add to Brighton’s already considerable injury problems.

All the early attacking intent was with Burnley and they should have led in the 17th minute when Odobert’s curling cross seemed to put the ball on a plate for Bruun Larsen, but the Dane somehow put it wide when he had to score.

Brighton had barely threatened, but they almost benefited from some chaotic Burnley defending in the 21st minute after Simon Adingra was allowed to break into the box, with Bruun Larsen over-hitting a back pass which struck Muric before bouncing to safety.

Brighton were growing in confidence, with Adingra and Baleba both testing Muric and Joao Pedro heading wide before Jakub Moder’s curling free-kick in the 41st minute had the Kosovo goalkeeper stretching to push the ball around a post.

But the half ended with Burnley squandering another outstanding chance, with Fofana somehow failing to get a toe to Odobert’s cross with the goal gaping.

Burnley replaced Vitinho with Charlie Taylor at the break and had another superb chance and another poor miss in the 52nd minute as a nice move ended with Fofana heading wide from Lorenz Assignon’s cross.

But Brighton were taking the ascendancy. Adingra should have done better with Moder’s low cross, unable to get his effort on target, and Pascal Gross saw a shot deflected wide after Burnley had to scramble to cut off Pedro.

Just before the hour, a lazy pass from Berge on the edge of the box gifted the ball to Gross, who saw his shot tipped over the bar by Muric before Pedro headed wide from the resulting corner.

Burnley thought they were on to a winner when Brownhill, just on for the injured Hjalmar Ekdal, struck in the 74th minute.

Baleba struggled to deal with a high bouncing ball and did not get enough power on his back pass, with Brownhill charging after it to punish the mistake.

But five minutes later Turf Moor’s celebrations were cut short by a moment that will give Muric sleepless nights.