Adelaide United ended their Sydney Football Stadium hoodoo to claim a share of top spot on the A-League ladder with a 1-0 victory over Sydney FC.

Lucas Pantelis scored in the 52nd minute to give the Reds their first ever A-League win in six trips to Sydney, with the loss leaving FC in danger of dropping five points adrift of the top four by the end of the weekend.

Adelaide joined Newcastle and Central Coast on top of the table, with the Mariners still to play Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.

Depending on results, as many as four teams could be tied on 14 points at the summit by the end of round nine, with Melbourne - at home to Perth on Sunday - also in the mix.

Sydney were hardly outclassed in an even, entertaining clash.

But the result continued a worrying trend for Branko Culina's side, who have now lost four of their six home games this season.

For the in-form Adelaide, it was their first away triumph of the campaign, and increases their unbeaten streak to five games.

The winner came shortly after halftime when Travis Dodd weaved through a clutch of Sydney players before squaring the ball for Pantelis, who clinically slotted home the offering with a sweetly struck left-foot shot.

While the home side pressed for an equaliser, Adelaide perhaps came closest to adding a second in the 62nd minute when Dez Giraldi's close-range effort rebounded off teammate Nathan Burns.

Both sides had several chances to score in a free-flowing opening half.

Adelaide's best opportunity came in the 21st minute, when Diego Walsh slipped a pass to Jason Spagnuolo through four Sydney defenders, with the attacker's swerving shot denied only by the fingertips of goalkeeper Clint Bolton, diving at full stretch.

It was one of three reflex saves from Bolton during the first term.

Sydney came closest to breaking the deadlock in the 31st when Patrick's full-blooded drive from 15 metres cannoned off the cross bar.

After claims in the lead-up to the game that he would be only half-fit for the rest of the season, Juninho showed few of the effects of his much-publicised shoulder problem during the opening half, although his influence was perhaps less pronounced after the break.

Sydney were without Mark Milligan for the match after the Olyroos skipper suffered a slight calf injury while playing for the Australian under-23s against Lebanon in Beirut this week.

And in a further blow, Sydney will lose key defender Mark Rudan to suspension for next Sunday's derby match with Central Coast after he picked up a fourth yellow card of the season.

Midfielders Terry McFlynn and Adam Casey also picked up ankle injuries which Culina said could see both ruled out for up to a month.

Sydney have now taking just four points from a possible 18 at home this season.

"That's a major concern, of course it is," said Culina, who added he couldn't fault his team's effort tonight despite being disappointed with the result.

"We've lost three games 1-0, and the other 2-1, so we've lost four games (at home) by a goal. And at home, that's where you should be dominating teams.

"None of us are happy with what is happening at the moment." After their impressive 4-1 drubbing of Melbourne last week, Adelaide coach Aurelio Vidmar was delighted his team was able to break its Sydney duck and claim its first back-to-back wins of the campaign.

"It was a fantastic win, I'm very proud of the boys tonight, they really dug deep and got a very, very good result for us," Vidmar said.

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