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The Reds twice came from behind before the Socceroos striker converted his third spot kick of the night in the 83rd minute to snatch all three points for Adelaide.
VAR was central to the action, having a say in two of Adelaide's penalties - upholding the first and calling play back for the Reds' third.
Adelaide coach Carl Veart hoped the victory from an unusual contest would help his side find some momentum.
"It was a very strange game, wasn't it?" he said.
"The win will help that confidence, grow the team a little bit more."
Adelaide enjoyed a promising spell in the opening minutes but it was the Mariners who broke the deadlock thanks to a poor defensive error from Jordan Elsey on 15 minutes.