The Mariners took a surprise lead into halftime on the 40-minute mark when striker Matt Simon swept in the rebound after Phoenix goalkeeper Glen Moss couldn't handle a long-range Nick Fitzgerald shot.
Roy Krishna's 76th-minute equaliser earned the Phoenix a point, when they should have headed back to Wellington with two more. They certainly had their chances and after racking up eight goals in their last two matches it seemed they were destined to add even more but just couldn't find the back of the net.
"In front of the goal we had something like 21 shots and there were quite a few inside the six-yard box and they rode their luck and got away with it. The shots were on target, most of them were and that's the key," Merrick said.
"It needs that final poke into the back of the net for everyone to be really, really happy but it's a tremendous performance. To play like that every week there won't be many draws, we'll win games like that."
Merrick said Central Coast players admitted to his own side afterwards that they were lucky not to be handed a sixth defeat of the season.
"They got the feedback from the opposition as well who were saying, 'God, we rode our luck there big time.' They [Phoenix players] know they played well.
"They're really disappointed with the draw but they know they played great football."
The Phoenix remain in fifth place with 16 points, six ahead of sixth-placed Brisbane.
Wellington have a chance to leapfrog fourth-placed Sydney FC, who haven't won in a month, when the teams meet at Allianz Stadium in Sydney next Sunday.
Coach slams pro player rule
Wellington Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick has labelled a rule restricting him from using players in the ASB Premiership as "disgraceful" after the Wellington Phoenix reserves side lost 2-0 to WaiBop United in the curtain-raiser at Eden Park on Saturday.
The Phoenix can play four contracted players but then have to ask their opponents for permission to play a further two professional players under 20.
Most sides in the ASB Premiership have refused, meaning the Phoenix have struggled to give gametime to players on the verge of making the main Phoenix squad.
"Tyler Boyd, who plays for the All Whites, couldn't play today because of a rule imposed upon us by New Zealand Football. So you explain that one to me. I can't explain it," Merrick said.
"Our boys are dying for a run but they're not allowed to unless we ask the opposition if we can play them - and if I was the opposition I'd say no.
"We shoot ourselves in the foot in this country in developing young talent. It's a disgraceful rule. I don't know who to blame for it but it's just stupid."
The Phoenix played two 15-year-olds and two 16-year-olds in the defeat to WaiBop with only two over the age of 20.
"We've got a lot of youngsters who we want to give a run but it's good to have a wee bit of experience alongside them. "
The Phoenix asked if they could play a contracted goalkeeper for a half and then replace him with a contracted role player at halftime but wererefused by bottom-placed WaiBop, who recorded their first win of the season.
