Defeat is the consequence of mistakes, as Adelaide coach Carl Veart knows only too well after his A-League Men side lost 2-1 to Sydney FC.
Sydney's star power including Anthony Caceres, Joe Lolley and Fabio Gomes lit up Allianz Stadium, but Adelaide also contributed to their own undoing on Saturday night.
Opting for a calculated trip down the corridor to counter the hosts' aggressive high press, it took one careless pass to open the floodgates for Sydney.
Midfielder Caceres easily intercepted the ball and tore through before unleashing to a waiting Robert Mak in the box.
The Slovakian slid the ball home past defender Ben Warland and goalkeeper James Delianov to draw first blood in the 27th minute.
"When you make mistakes, you get punished and that's what's been happening. It happened again tonight," Veart said.
"When you're in the position that we're in at the moment, you can lose that belief and confidence.
"We didn't come away with something, but it's football - sometimes you don't always get what you should."
The mistakes for the Reds did not stop in the first half.
Despite Veart's protests that contact was made with the ball, a second-half foul by Isaias on Sydney striker Joe Lolley in the penalty area sealed the win for the hosts.
The Spaniard had taken Lolley to ground, and Fabio Gomes stepped up to the penalty spot and found the back of the net in the 84th minute.
It was reward for effort for the striker, who had led the Sydney attack with several attempts at goal.
After receiving a brilliant pass from Caceres in the 41st minute, Gomes flaunted clever footwork as Delianov dove thrice to stop the Brazilian.
But it was Gomes' own hesitancy that killed that particular opportunity.
The 26-year-old continued to pepper the goal before the break and was left in disbelief when an attempt dribbled wide of an open goal in added time.
Gomes then broke through with an easy tap thanks to a pass from fresh substitute Jaiden Kucharski in front of goal after 60 minutes.
However, his celebrations were short-lived, the goal disallowed because of a foul on Warland.
Warland then left the game in the second half with a right leg cramp, but he is expected to make a swift return.
The Reds at least scored a consolation goal when Javi Lopez scored in the 94th minute.
Should results go their way this round, Ufuk Talay's charges could cement their claim on fifth place after avoiding defeat in their past five matches.
"The boys have got to go and they go as far as they can go," Talay said.
"If it's 45, 55, 65, then we make changes and we bring fresh legs on and we go again because pressing is part of our identity.
"I do have empathy and sympathy at times, but not when the game is going on for the players."
Adelaide will most likely be without Josh Cavallo after the midfielder hobbled off in the 10th minute with a left quad strain.
Veart was already without powerhouse winger Nestory Irankunda, who stayed in Adelaide following sickness earlier in the week.
