A goal to Adelaide replacement Luka Jovanovic in the 80th minute was the difference in a stop-start affair.

The three points lifted Adelaide above the Jets and Perth to ninth spot on 22 points.

The Jets slipped to 11th on 20 points, a point ahead of a resurgent Western United, who have won two of their last three games.

The Jets have now gone eight games without a win.

"I'm disappointed," Jets coach Rob Stanton said. "I'm not sure what is worse, getting belted 4-0 or losing 1-0? You feel that you are close and one little mistake or you switch off a little bit and you get punished.

"We are so close but so far away.

"I thought the game was pretty even. They probably had a few more shots but there wasn't much in it. We just didn't manage that moment and paid the price."

Adelaide coach Carl Veart did his homework.

Ben Warland did a great job at cutting off the service to Stamatelopous down the left wing in the first half. When the striker did get on the ball, he was crunched.

Warland and Stefan Mauk were both booked for roughhouse challenges on the Jets' main man inside the 25 minutes to set the tone.

Referee Darren Elder issued five yellow cards to Adelaide, all for heavy challenges.

"They fouled a lot and broke up play," Stanton said. Every time we tried to break or play quickly, they fouled. If worked, for them. That's football."

The competition breaks next weekend for a FIFA international window.

The Jets have six games remaining, including five against sides in the top six.

The home side defended resolutely for 75 minutes.

Ryan Scott was immense in goals and the defenders in front of him threw their bodies at everything.

But all the good work was undone thanks to some neat footwork and a shot through traffic by Jovanovic.

At the other end, Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had a header from point-blank saved by James Delianov. The keeper also produced a brilliant effort to deny Reno Piscopo from long range.

Scott nearly provided an unlikely equaliser in stoppage time, rushing up for a corner. He produced a diving header at the back post only for it to bounce into the turf and away.

Stanton made one change to the side which gave up a late equaliser for a 2-all against Perth, with Callum Timmins replacing Clayton Taylor.

Veart made four changes, introducing Isaias and Mauk into midfield, and Nestory Irankunda and Japanese import Hiroshi Ibuski up front.

The Jets have been quick out of the box in most games and they could have went ahead in the second minute.

Dane Ingham collected the ball just inside the Reds' half and the defence opened up like the Red Sea but, with all the time in the world, the Kiwi international dragged his shot to the left.

Adelaide also had an early chance from a corner. Zac Clough curled a corner to the near post for Ibuski, who made good contact with a header but couldn't beat the sharp reflexes of Scott.

Ibuski went close again in the 10^th minute as the visitors continued to threaten.

Adelaide had all the running and the Jets had another let-off in the 15^th minute when Irankunda exploded on the counter attack. The Germany-bound winger burned off Ingham but his left foot shot thundered into the left post.

For all their dominance the visitors couldn't produce a killer blow.

The Jets should have taken the lead against the run of play in the 35^th minute.

Mauragis, who was outstanding, broke down the left, cut inside and crossed for Stamatelopous. However, the normally lethal front-man headed straight at Delianov.

Mauk thought he had finally broken the deadlock on the stroke of half-time from a goal mouth scramble. The Jets called for a foul by Mauk on Tomas Aquilina. After a long deliberation by the VAR, the goal was ruled out for offside.

The visitors led all the main statistics at the break. They fired nine shots to four, led the corner count 9-0 and made 21 entries into the penalty area.

But the Jets held firm, largely to some outstanding keeping by Scott and scrambling defence.

Delianov didn't have much to do in the first half, but he earned his keep five minutes after the break, diving full-stretch to his right to tip a stinging shot from Reno Piscopo around the post.