ADELAIDE has overcome a slow start and seen off a valiant late challenge by Carlton to post its sixth win of the season 15.15 (105) to 12.14 (86) at Telstra Dome on Saturday afternoon.

The Blues came hard at the Crows early in both halves of a highly-entertaining, free-flowing affair and led by one point early in the final term before the visitors powered away to record the 19-point win.

Acting captain Simon Goodwin led Adelaide from the front with 28 possessions, Martin Mattner (25 disposals) played his best match of the season in defence and Ben Hudson was the dominant ruckman on the ground.

Anthony Koutoufides also played his best game of the year in gathering 22 possessions and kicking two goals for the Blues, Andrew Carrazzo did a superb job on Crow danger man Tyson Edwards and Jarrad Waite overshadowed Brendan Fevola with four goals.

With neither side making any late changes to the line-ups as selected on Thursday, the match got underway in bright sunshine and the Blues got off to a flier with the first three goals of the match inside five minutes.

The Crows were clearly rattled and despite Robert Shirley’s opener 10 minutes in, the Blues continued to outplay their more-fancied opponents and went further ahead with goals to Lance Whitnall and Brad Fisher with the latter capitalising on a Graham Johncock turnover before taking his shot from the goal line thanks to a 50-metre penalty.

The news got worse for Adelaide when ruckman Jonathon Griffin limped from the ground with an ankle injury late in the term.

Carlton held a 15-point lead at the first break, but that quickly evaporated as Jason Porplyzia bobbed up with two early goals and the Crows got their running game going.

Despite the loss of Griffin, who tested his ankle briefly before going to the bench for good, the early promise of the Blues was nowhere to be seen as Hudson dominated the hitouts and Adelaide slammed through another four goals including two to Luke Jericho.

Leading by 24 points as the third quarter got underway, the Crows looked poised to go on with the job, but the Blues started the second half as they did the first and piled on the first three goals to come roaring back into the contest.

Waite was important with his three goals for the quarter seeing All-Australian full back Ben Rutten moved off Fevola and onto him. Adelaide was under siege but still managed to maintain a lead thanks to Porplyzia and Jericho who each added their third.

Koutoufides got on the end of a pass from Fevola to bag his first of the day and when he turned back the clock to slam through a superb long-range goal in traffic, the Crows lead was just seven points at the last change.

Brad Fisher booted the first goal of the last quarter and behinds to Waite and Ryan Houlihan put the Blues in front, but Welsh, who had been quiet for most of the day, exploded into action with three goals to help seal the result.

CARLTON 5.2 5.4 11.11 12.14 (86)

ADELAIDE 2.5 8.10 12.12 15.15 (105)

GOALS

Carlton: Waite 4, Koutoufides 2, Fevola 2, Fisher 2, Scotland, Whitnall.
Adelaide: Welsh 4, Jericho 3, Porplyzia 3, Reilly 2, Perrie, Bock, Shirley.

BEST

Carlton: Carrazzo, Koutoufides, Waite, Simpson, Murphy, Walker, Houlihan, Scotland.
Adelaide: Goodwin, Shirley, Mattner, Hudson, Reilly, Knights, Thompson, Welsh.

INJURIES

Carlton: Nil.
Adelaide: Griffin (ankle).

Reports: Carlton: M Lappin reported by umpire Head for attempting to trip J Torney in the third quarter.

Umpires: Donlon, McBurney, Head

Official crowd: 27,504 at Telstra Dome