The Goulburn Bulldogs held on to a two-point lead for 15 minutes, but it wasn't enough.
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And their winger Steven Cummins scored four tries, but that wasn't enough either.
Instead it was the Gungahlin Bulls who came away with a last-gasp 38-34 victory in Goulburn on Sunday.
The Bulls scored in the dying minutes to pinch the win from a gutsy Bulldogs effort, which Goulburn co-coach Jesse Martin felt would stand his young team in good stead at the back end of the year.
It was a day for wingers, with both of Gungahlin's also getting among the tries - Rourke O'Sullivan scored a hat-trick and Dean Aylott got a brace.
"We were holding to a two-point lead for 15-20 minutes and then they broke us right at the end on the buzzer," Martin said.
"It's tough, but we've got a break next week and we'll go again after that.
"We've got a very young side. There's a few errors creeping in, but come later in the year we'll be ready.
"Got a lot of young boys and they're all learning so it's all good."
To make matters worse, the Bulldogs had a try disallowed just moments earlier when second-rower Matt Sherer crashed over.
Then some Goulburn ill discipline proved costly.
"We got our try disallowed and then we got a penalty for throwing the ball away," Martin said.
"They marched us down the field and scored. A bit of ill discipline and the errors creeped in today.
"Matty Sherer crashed over. It was very close, could've gone both ways."
AT A GLANCE
GUNGAHLIN BULLS 38 (R O'Sullivan 3, D Aylott 2, K Kenny, T Holten-Williams tries; L Thomson 5 goals) bt GOULBURN BULLDOGS 34 (S Cummins 4, V Winnel, T Greenwood tries; I Walker 5 goals)