Andrew Hoole got Central Coast off to the perfect start, blasting a free kick past an immobile Paul Izzo to give the Mariners the advantage.

Things then went from bad to worse for the Reds, with Ersan Gulum given his marching orders 10 minutes later for a soft-looking foul on Trent Buhagiar.

Adelaide didn’t lie down, however, and when George Blackwood couldn’t convert his early chances as the match progressed - only to be punished by a Ryan Strain own-goal - Jordan Elsey restored Adelaide’s motivation with a precise header.  

Marco Kurz’s side are nothing if not resilient, and their players act as such. As the Mariners retreated, Blackwood sprung up again to score the equaliser, only the fifth of his A-League career, to give Reds’ fans an unlikely point, and a brilliant experience to saviour. 

“I said to the boys, feel confident, believe in our chances, play one against one,” Kurz said.

“We played our centreback to Da Silva, the other one to their number eight. The quality of the team is to fight.

“One of our qualities are to fight and believe until the end of the game."

While Adelaide's determination gave Kurz something praiseworthy, Shaun Evans' decision to send off Gulum did not.

“It’s a red card, but you also see the touch, if the player falls down, a good referee says stay up," he said.