THE circumstances were enough to give coach Sam Bartley a heart attack, but Roma Cities have outlasted St George in an incredible match on Sunday.

Defence was hardly a highlight in a match that saw 82 points scored in total, but attacking live-wires like Alex Coonan, Charlie Adams and Cameron Bartley were given plenty of space to move around in a see-sawing affair.

The Gladiators, missing the talents of representative players Brendan Grulke and Zac Downey, watched in horror as their 16-0 lead early on became a 24-16 deficit at half-time, with Adams and Sam Davis causing all kinds of headaches for the boys in blue.

But a few bustling runs early in the second half to centre David Dingwall, winger Nick Clifton interchange player Lauchlan Hoey kept Cities in the match, before a brilliant individual score from Coonan and an intercept try from sharp-shooter Shannon Irwin sealed the victory.

Among the injury concerns were Dingwall, who pulled his hamstring while streaking down the touchline in the

Bartley, who will now have to prepare his troops for a mouth-watering re-match against Chinchilla, said he was proud of his side’s effort especially in the final two minutes of the match when St George were given one last set to level it up.

“When we got out to that 16-0 lead, we were controlling the play-the-ball and the centre of the field, but then we stopped doing that,” he said.

“We scrambled well and they had their chances late in the game but we didn’t let them in.

“Everyone did their job really well.”

St George once again proved they were the kings of second-phase play, with their mobile forwards able to loosen an arm free for an offload on a regular basis.

Cities are expected to welcome back Grulke for the grudge match against the Bulldogs.

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