United's slim finals aspirations have become wafer thin after the draw on Friday night.

The Mariners scored first with a 39th-minute penalty before Travis Dodd registered his second goal in as many weeks to find the equaliser four minutes later.

A win would have seen United draw level on points with the eighth-placed Mariners in what was shaping as a classic six-point game.

Instead the Reds remain anchored to the bottom of the ladder and are unlikely to be heading up the table anytime soon given their lack of quality finishing.

They had numerous corners in both halves, starting with Lloyd Owusu who hadn't played since November and found substitute Shin who was not quite ready for the pressure of the A-League.

Central Coast haven't won since round 15 but will be pleased they managed to snare a point in each of their last two games.

Their finals hopes are more realistic as they are still in striking distance of sixth-placed Perth.

Nik Mrdja was the goal scorer for the Mariners after he went to the spot in the 39th minute and went high and straight with his kick to beat the diving Eugene Galekovic.

Mathew Leckie and Owusu combined to set Dodd up for the equaliser.

Leckie pierced the Mariners' defence with a fleet-footed run, dished off to Owusu in the box who then sent the ball out wide to his captain.

Dodd, who's missed some easy goals this season, took his time with the shot and beat Danny Vukovic to his left.

Both teams were in an attacking mood during the first half with the Reds and the Mariners putting pressure on the goalkeepers with four corners each within the first 16 minutes.

But it was Central Coast which proved a more dangerous force in attack.

A Mrdja attempt was deflected by Galekovic's leg while a free kick, which rebounded off the Reds' wall, was swooped upon by Dean Heffernan but was blocked again by Galekovic.

At the other end Owusu was getting his head to plenty of balls but United's season-long spray fest continued.

The contest was evenly balanced before Cassio shoved Pedj Bojic in the box and the Mariners had earned the penalty and a first half-lead.

But a fired-up Adelaide replied after just four minutes.

The corners kept coming for the Reds in the second half but it was a 20-metre free kick from Cassio in the 51st minute which posed the greatest threat.

The ball was curling towards the left-hand corner of the net before Vukovic pushed the ball over the crossbar.

Bradley Porter had Galekovic diving to his right and left with two dangerous strikers while Mrdja was an ever-present danger with his set pieces.

United made some changes to the line-up but the substitutes couldn't spark a match-winner from its team-mates.