A spirited comeback from the Logan Saints wasn't quite enough to snatch victory from the Sunnybank Dragons in their first-division clash on the weekend at Homestead Park with the final score 33 - 24.

Logan started the game strongly and dominated the early exchanges but struggled to convert that dominance into points with a couple of missed penalty attempts.

A Dragons player in the sin-bin gave the Saints another opportunity to draw first blood and a scrum close to the Sunnybank line provided the opportunity.

Powerful scrummaging provided the platform for the ball to be sent wide before hooker Rex Harrison crashed over for an early 5 - 0 lead.

Sunnybank struck back shortly afterwards with a turnover from a scrum and the Dragons backline took full advantage of the unexpected possession to score a try for a 7 - 5 lead going into half-time.

The Saints started the second half in the worst possible fashion when a mix-up when fielding a Dragons kick gifted a try to Sunnybank.

But it was not long before the Logan forwards drove the ball forwards towards the Sunnybank line and another try to the Saints brought the gap back to four points.

Sunnybank responded by increasing the tempo of their game and they threatened the Saints line continually for an extended stretch.

Selfish play from the Dragons hooker bombed a certain try, but it was not long before the Dragons managed to cross the line off the back of a scrum to extend the lead to 21 - 10.

Another try followed shortly afterwards in similar fashion with Logan paying the price of repeated infringements at the breakdown with Ailaoa Chong-Nee suffering the wrath of the referee with a yellow card.

The Saints trailed by 18 points at this stage and they responded to the pressure by stringing together a series of their own attacking plays.

A 40-metre slashing run by Lathe Rua off good line-out ball from the Logan pack reduced the lead to 11 points, followed by a slick backline move which put winger Quinton Matika over the line.

With the match in the balance at 28 - 24 both sides threw everything into the final minutes with Logan threatening to steal a victory in the dying minutes.

Desperate waves of Logan attack was held out by the Sunnybank defence and the pace of the game's finale saw the Saints punished by a turnover and a try against the run of play by the Dragons to put a victory out of reach for Logan.

Despite the defeat, other players to impress for the Saints were flanker Tim Griffiths, lock Josh Robertson and fullback Chris Staunton.

The Saints fared better in the second grade clash and recorded an exciting 22 - 20 win.

In a role reversal from the first grade game, it was Logan who held a lead into the back end of the match and it was the Saints' spirited defence which saw off the Dragons challenge for a memorable result.

Logan's third grade team went down 28 - 17 and the Saints also suffered a loss in the fourth grade game 53 - 5.

The Logan Saints continue their first-division rugby union campaign next week with games against Redlands at Judy Holt Park.