A volley a minute into stoppage time consigned the Central Coast Mariners to their third defeat in a row, but for the second time in as many weeks the result didn't reflect the performance.

"Football is a hard game sometimes," said Mariners' manager Lawrie McKinna.

Brisbane raced into two-goal lead inside 25 minutes to put the Mariners on the back foot. Tommy Oar turned inside Mariners' Brad Porter to fire in the first and then Sergio Van Dijk added the second with a shot from 25 yards.

Former Blade Nicky Travis gave Mariners a lifeline on 34 minutes after capitalising on a mistake by former Newcastle and Rangers defender, Craig Moore, who scuffed a back-pass to allow Travis to beat goalkeeper Griffin McMaster.

Travis could have had a second soon after, only to be ruled offside after seemingly being released down the right by Matt Simon, but Mariners did level in the second half.

Travis was again involved, floating over a corner from which substitute Dylan Macallister levelled.

However, the Mariners were stung in injury-time when Michael Zullo floated a ball into the box and McKay was waiting to smash home with a first time effort to cruelly deny the home side a share of the points.

The Mariners' next home match of the Hyundai A-League season will be the New Years Eve extravaganza against Wellington Phoenix.