Newcastle Jets midfielder Nick Carle scored a wonder goal in the 89th minute to hand his side a stunning 2-1 victory over Adelaide United at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Friday night.

Carle ran from inside his own half, weaved through the opposition defence and then unleashed a swerving shot with the outside of his left boot that found the top left corner of the net.

A minute earlier, Adelaide veteran striker Carl Veart shot over the bar from a penalty attempt.

Referee Matthew Breeze awarded the spot-kick and sent off Jade North after the defender stopped a Shengqing Qu header on the goal line with his hand.

Jets striker Vaughan Coveny opened the scoring in the 26th minute with a left-foot strike, before Adelaide's Veart equalised 10 minutes later with a penalty kick.

Carle's strike, his first of the season, was greeted by a huge roar from the crowd which included Socceroos star Harry Kewell.

The result lifted the Jets from seventh to equal fourth in the A-League, while Adelaide remain in second place 11 points behind leader Melbourne Victory.

Coveny's opener, his second goal in successive matches, arrived after a sustained period of Newcastle pressure.

Midfielder Stuart Musialik looped the ball over the top of Adelaide's defence, which Coveny latched on to and slotted past Adelaide goalkeeper Robert Bajic.

The Reds were given a lifeline when Jets captain Paul Okon blatantly pulled back Qu in the penalty box as the Chinese striker shaped to shoot.

It was the latest in a string of costly errors Okon has made since his return to Australian football.

Referee Breeze showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Veart dispatched the penalty but Breeze ordered a retake after an Adelaide player encroached into the box before the kick was taken.

The veteran striker made no mistake with his second attempt to claim his third goal of the season.

The Jets dominated early play, forcing Bajic into saves from Joel Griffiths, Matt Thompson and Coveny within a five-minute period.

Breeze booked Coveny for diving in the box in the 24th minute, which the New Zealander hotly disputed.

Adelaide was disjointed and listless in the first half but later found some rhythm and spark.

Jets goalkeeper Ben Kennedy made a crucial play in the 65th minute, saving with his legs from a Qu effort.

Three minutes later Okon made a timely challenge on Qu inside the six-yard box.

North cleared a Qu shot off the line in the 83rd minute and Kennedy tipped over a Michael Valkanis header from the resultant corner.

Before the match, Kewell signed autographs for the crowd flanked by four police officers and a security entourage.

The Liverpool star watched the match sitting next to Jets owner Con Constantine and Newcastle Knights rugby league star Andrew Johns.

Kewell will return to England this weekend after seven weeks in Australia to overcome multiple injuries.

The gate of 10,895 was Newcastle's best crowd of the season.

Carle said he felt an unbelievable rush when he scored.

"It's been a long time coming. I've just been told I haven't scored in 12 months.

"It's been a while, the ball just didn't want to go in for me so let's hope it turns around for me and we don't have to wait another year for another one.

"I'm really happy with it, the timing of it and the crowd going crazy," said Carle.

Jets coach Gary van Egmond said North's handball and subsequent send-off gave his side a chance.

"When you get to that level and to those certain times, it's a game of inches.

"That was a moment where he (North) made a decision and it proves to be a right decision."

Adelaide coach John Kosmina questioned whether the referee could have awarded a goal after North illegally tipped Qu's header over the bar with his hand.

"The referees used to be able to award a goal for deliberate hand-ball," said Kosmina.

On Carle's goal, Kosmina added: "It was a good goal but you can't back off for 40 metres; he should have been shut down long before that.

"We should have stepped up and stopped him running."

He said his side had enough chances to win the game.

"First half we were a bit sluggish and they took the game to us, but second half I thought we played really well."

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