Four goals to Stevie-Lee Thompson and another Erin Phillips masterclass have propelled Adelaide to a hard-fought 13-point AFLW win over a gallant Carlton at Ikon Park.

The Crows trailed by as much as 17 points in the third quarter on Sunday but Thompson and Phillips were instrumental as the visitors finished full of running to record a 9.3 (57) to 7.2 (44) win.

Phillips finished with 21 disposals and a goal, with Thompson booting two goals in the third quarter as Adelaide notched their first win of the season to condemn Carlton to an 0-2 start.

Madison Prespakis starred for the Blues with 20 touches and a goal, with Natalie Plane booting two majors.

Both sides lost key players before the opening bounce, Tayla Harris a late out for Carlton with a shoulder injury and Chelsea Randall out for Adelaide with hamstring tightness.

But the absence of those stars didn’t affect the quality of an entertaining contest.

A week after they managed two goals in total in a heavy loss to North Melbourne, the Blues had two goals on the board by quarter-time.

But Phillips was on fire early, helping her side to a two-point lead at the first break.

Daniel Harford’s side applied the brakes in the second, keeping the Crows scoreless and going ahead through a Plane goal to lead by four points at half-time.

Carlton leapt out to a 17-point lead with the first two goals of the second, but Thompson kept her side in it.

Phillips converted a set free kick for a pivotal major late in the term and Sarah Perkins nailed her set shot in the shadows of three-quarter time to put her side up by a point.

The Crows slammed through the first three goals of the last quarter and held off the brave Blues in front of 3,150 fans.