Minor A-League premier Adelaide United dropped its first points in eight matches after being held to a 1-1 draw by the feisty Central Coast Mariners at Hindmarsh Stadium.

The draw denied Adelaide a small slice of South Australian soccer history as it attempted to match eight consecutive wins in national soccer league competition achieved by former club West Adelaide in 1978.

However, the draw kept the Mariners on track for a finals appearance as they moved into third place on the A-League ladder, ahead of Newcastle Jets before their Sunday match against Melbourne Victory.

Veteran midfielder Carl Veart netted his seventh goal of the season from the penalty spot in the 49th minute but Mariners striker Adam Kwasnik equalised from close range just four minutes later to quell celebrations among the 13,008 fans.

Both teams laboured to keep their opponents under pressure in sweltering conditions with the temperature hovering around 40C at kick-off time.

However, Adelaide tested the Mariners' defence with a series of penetrating passes over the backline in the first half hour without reward.

Brazilian attacker Fernando Rech returned after a two-match injury layoff to cause early havoc in the Mariners' defence.

He looked a little unlucky not to win a penalty in the fourth minute as he rushed onto a header across goal from Mike Valkanis and was bundled to the ground.

Rech then hit the left-hand post with a neat shot angled past Mariners goalkeeper Danny Vukovic in the 24th minute after a clever pass from midfielder Lucas Pantelis.

The Mariners fielded an attacking line-up but it took them until the 31st minute to force United keeper Robert Bajic to make a save, palming away a 15-metre shot from Kwasnik for a corner.

United finally got the lead it deserved just after half time as Veart broke from deep and released captain Ross Aloisi, who was pulled back by Mariners midfielder Andre Gumprecht as he turned towards goal.

But Gumprecht repaired his mistake shortly after, crossing from the left by-line for Kwasnik to stab the ball home into an empty net.

Veart and fellow midfielder Travis Dodd will miss United's next match after picking up their fourth cautions of the season.

Although he was disappointed to end a seven-game winning streak, United coach John Kosmina said the first half had featured arguably the most enterprising play of Adelaide's season.

"We played in the first half some of the best football we've played all season,' he said.

"We tore them apart and we should've really been in at the break a couple of goals up.

"With a team like the Central Coast you can't afford to waste opportunities, and you know they're going to come back at you and they did - they were desperate."

Kosmina denied the pressure was off his men, pointing out that impressive results brought their own brand of tightness.

"There's more pressure now because we've gone so far," he said.

"Now there's an expectation, so the players will have to adjust mentally.

"You don't want to lose, ever, and never accept it."

Mariners coach Lawrie McKinna admitted some disappointment at not taking three points from the match but overall was satisfied with the performance.

"It would've been nice to win and get close to second spot, but the main focus for us is to get in the top four," he said.

"Over 90 minutes a draw was a fair result but in the second half we probably did enough to win it."

Central Coast striker Adam Kwasnik sustained a torn hamstring in the second half and is expected to miss up to three weeks with the injury.

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