Thomas Heward-Belle's heroics seal Sydney FC win over Adelaide United in ALM

Sydney FC shot-stopper Thomas Heward-Belle has made a brilliant late penalty save to ensure a 2-1 win over Adelaide United in a dramatic A-League Men clash at Hindmarsh Stadium.

Heward-Belle picked the right way to move and successfully parried the penalty attempt by Adelaide's Japanese striker Hiro Ibusuki in the 88th minute while the Reds were denied a second penalty in stoppage time despite VAR intervention.

Sydney coach Steve Corica applauded the heroics of his keeper, who was awarded best-on-ground honours with a standout performance in an impressive display from the visitors.

«I thought it was a good [team] performance, actually,» Corica said.

"[Heward-Belle] made the great save for the penalty, maybe one or two other ones, but that's his job, isn't it? To save goals. He did it really well tonight and he deserved [best on ground]."

Sydney dominated Adelaide from the outset, pressing the Reds high up the park and causing the home side to turn the ball over cheaply.

The visitors' pressure and intensity was rewarded early, with Elvis Kamsoba opening the scoring on 10 minutes.

Sydney's tricky attacker bamboozled Adelaide's defence with a series of step-overs, before cutting inside and firing past Lachlan Barr and Michael Jakobsen, beating goalkeeper Joe Gauci at the near post.

But, against the run of play, Adelaide equalised in the 32nd minute through captain Stefan Mauk.

Craig Goodwin whipped in a cross for Ibusuki but the striker's header was brilliantly kept out by Heward-Belle, only for Mauk to volley home the rebound.

The Reds tested Howard-Belle twice more before the break, the shot-stopper tipping Brook's curling effort around the post before denying Goodwin from close range just before half-time.

Sydney started the second