An 88th minute own goal from Julian Watts looks to have put the skids on Northern Spirit's national soccer league season with Adelaide City scoring a crucial 2-1 win.

Watts brought his side undone in slippery conditions at North Sydney Oval, the defender getting an errant foot to a ball from opposition midfielder Lucas Pantelis, sealing the result.

With a question mark still hanging over the Spirits' one point gained from last week's 0-0 draw against Newcastle due to an illegal substitution, they could fall further behind the three teams chasing finals leader Perth Glory.

It was a cruel finish to an otherwise indifferent match which should have ended in a draw.

Vuko Tomasevic changed roles from goal scorer to provider for the Spirit after 50 minutes but the result was the same as the home side took a 1-0 lead.

Instead of taking a shot from a free kick the dead-ball specialist struck a curling free for striker John Hutchinson to head home.

But if the Spirit were hoping to hold onto their lead at a sodden North Sydney Oval, they were to be given a wake-up call just 17 minutes later.

City's Lucas Pantelis dispatched a probing cross from the left hand side of the field after a good counter from the visitors, his ball by-passing two attackers before striker Claudio Pelosi slotted it in.

Adelaide began slightly the brighter of the two teams, a flying Pelosi with the best early chance as he slid an angled ball just wide of the goal mouth after 19 minutes.

Strangely enough it took a 32nd minute downpour to open up an otherwise soporific first half.

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