Adelaide coach Brenton Sanderson says a stirring two-point comeback win against Geelong has given the Crows the self-belief to sustain a late charge at the AFL finals.
The Crows kicked eight of the last 10 goals of the game to steal a 14.10 (94) to 14.8 (92) victory and revive their season at AAMI Stadium on Saturday.
Adelaide rose two spots on the ladder, to 11th - two wins outside the top eight with six games remaining.
"Give us a few more wins and we're right in the mix," Sanderson said.
"It just helps our self-belief ... it gives us a bit of momentum."
Sanderson and his side survived a heart-stopping final minute to prevail against the Cats, who slipped from second to third on the ladder.
After Adelaide's hero Matthew Wright kicked his fourth goal to give the Crows a four-point lead in the dying stages, the Cats had two chances to win the game.
First, Jimmy Bartel missed a tight set shot from 20 metres with 50 seconds remaining.
"I have never seen him miss those - at training or in games," said Sanderson, a former teammate of Bartel.
Then, with 25 seconds to go, Harry Taylor missed a slightly easier shot, but again from a testing angle.
Both Geelong stalwarts used kicks around their body in their failed match-winning attempts as the Cats slipped to a third loss of the season - all by less than a goal.
Bartel also faces scrutiny for making head-high contact with Adelaide's Rory Laird which forced the Crow backman from the ground in the second term - he returned after halftime.
Geelong coach Chris Scott blamed defensive lapses for the defeat, which came after the visitors held a 30-point lead midway through the third quarter.
"We gave up some easy goals that we wouldn't normally," Scott said.
"For the most part of the game we played pretty well but a few crucial contests and decisions late in the game cost us."
Adelaide's Wright and Lynch put the goal-scoring polish on the grunt work of midfielders Rory Sloane (27 disposals), Richard Douglas (33 touches) and Bernie Vince (25 possessions), while Ricky Henderson was a standout in defence with 32 disposals and nine marks.
Geelong defender Corey Enright was outstanding, veteran Joel Corey collected 27 disposals and captain Joel Selwood and Josh Caddy both kicked three goals.
