ADELAIDE coach Brenton Sanderson says his side was beaten at its own game by a persistent Collingwood outfit, after the Magpies booted five unanswered goals in the final term to seal victory on Saturday night.

Sanderson said the Crows were "smashed" in the last quarter and Collingwood did to his side what they had done to others in previous weeks - kick away when it mattered.

"We're a fit side and we've been really aggressive in the fourth quarters all season," Sanderson said.

"For them to come back into the game … and then accelerate away from us was a bit un-Adelaide-like from what we've seen this season.

"They smashed us in the last quarter; what was it? A 32-point turnaround or something?

"They sort of did to us what we've been doing to other sides late in the game."

Adelaide has been one of the toughest sides in the League around the contests this season, consistently winning the contested possession count.

But Collingwood proved superior in the telling stat, edging the Crows 164 to 160.

"They were better than us around the contest, were much better than us with their method around the ball," Sanderson said.

"We got beaten by a better side tonight."

Sanderson said missed opportunities in the second and third quarters cost the home side dearly and said a lack of poise was behind the 2.5 to 0.4 third-term score line.

"We just didn’t seem to be able to make them pay on the scoreboard," he said.

"[There was] just a bit of anxiety when we needed a bit of calmness and a bit of poise and a bit of composure, we were bending the ball around our body instead of just going on the left foot and those sort of things.
 
"We just didn't seem to take our opportunities like we have been tonight."

After heading into the final break up by a goal and with a parochial home crowd behind them, Sanderson said he believed his side would out-last the Magpies.

"It just felt like it was there, that we would be the ones that would run over the top of them … there wasn't that burst, that acceleration, that outside speed that we've had, particularly in fourth quarters," he said.

"The boys have been up for a long time and we just couldn't sustain that four-quarter effort that we've been having the last few weeks.

"I was really proud of the boys until three-quarter time, but the last quarter was disappointing."

Harry Thring covers Adelaide news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter:@AFL_Harry