City capitalised from two errors by Adelaide's Jordan Elsey, whose first-half own-goal on Sunday night at Coopers Stadium was followed by a blunder which led to a Luke Brattan goal.

City leapfrog Adelaide and Wellington to take fourth spot on the ladder and sit one point shy of third-placed Sydney FC.

Brattan secured the vital victory with a powerful 50th-minute shot which was seemingly covered by United's goalkeeper Paul Izzo but crashed through him and into the net.

The 28-year-old Brattan, who dreams of turning into a professional golfer and playing on the senior PGA Tour when aged 50, celebrated by plucking out a corner flag and practising his golf swing.

Brattan's blow from about 15 metres out came after Elsey turned the ball over on the edge of the box when failing to control a routine back-pass.

The strike came after City took the lead in the 25th minute when Elsey deflected the ball into Adelaide's net.

After some slick build-up, Lachlan Wales played Riley McGree into space near the byline and his cut-back pass cannoned into Elsey, whose attempted block went into the side netting.

The goals were just reward for City, who rallied after an early injury to marquee signing Ritchie De Laet.

The Belgian, on return after knee soreness kept him out last week, went down in the 21st minute and was helped from the field with medicos checking his right knee.

"You lose an experienced player early in the game and you have got to rejig, so the game plan from the start changes dramatically," City coach Warren Joyce said.

Adelaide's best scoring chance came via Craig Goodwin - just before halftime, the unmarked United star aimed a header wide from six metres.

And, in the 73rd minute, former Reds captain and now City 'keeper Eugene Galekovic produced a top-shelf one-handed reflex save to deny a close-range Scott Galloway shot.

"We had a lot of good moments but we made simple mistakes," Adelaide coach Marco Kurz said.

City next face home-town rivals Melbourne Victory in a Saturday night derby, while Adelaide have an extended break before hosting Western Sydney on Boxing Day.

Australian Associated Press