Wickus van Heerden scored a last-minute try as the Lions all but scuttled the Highlanders' playoff chances with a 26-22 win in the Super Rugby match at Carisbrook on Saturday night.
It was the Lions' second win in three matches on their tour against a Highlanders side which gave its worst performance of the season.
Few enhanced their reputations in a mistake-riddled display against a Lions team which played with enthusiasm and urgency.
The Highlanders went into the match with 43 points and a chance of making the playoffs while the Lions were second-last with 19 points.
The Highlanders had won 10 of 15 games against the Lions, including four of the past five.
Adam Thomson, who was due to play his 50th match for the Highlanders, was a late withdrawal with sore ribs and was replaced by flanker Nick Crosswell - who was having his first start of the season - with Jarrad Hoeata moving from blindside flank to lock.
The Highlanders kicked off on a fine but cold night and first five-eighths Lima Sopoaga opened the scoring after just two minutes with a penalty from 30 metres.
But the Lions had come to play and two penalty goals by first five-eighths Elton Jantjies, the second from 45 metres, gave them a 6-3 lead after 10 minutes.
The Highlanders scored the first try after 16 minutes from a five-metre scrum. Second five-eighths Shaun Treeby ran strongly at the line on the angle to score and Sopoaga converted to make it 10-6.
Handling errors were hurting the Highlanders, especially one by Hoeata when he seemed set to score by the posts.
Penalties dominated and two more by Sopoaga took the Highlanders out to a 16-9 lead seven minutes before the break.
That was the half-time score but it had been an untidy spell by the Highlanders, who often looked rusty and lacking cohesion after the bye week against the enthusiastic Lions.
The Highlanders had 60 percent of the first-half territory, led the breakdown turnovers 5-1 and spent seven minutes to three inside the opposition 22 but their finishing had been poor.
Sopoaga missed an easy penalty from in front five minutes into the second spell and the Lions capitalised immediately. They swept downfield and, from the tap penalty, No.8 Josh Strauss crashed over close to the posts. Jantjies converted and the scores were tied at 16-all.
The Highlanders had struggled to get their game going and the Lions took a 19-16 lead after 55 minutes when Jantjies kicked his fourth penalty when prop Jamie Mackintosh was ruled offside.
Treeby and replacement flanker John Hardie combined in a sweeping 60-metre move almost to the line which was followed by a melee after wing Siale Piutau reacted with a punch when he was flipped in a neck-high tackle.
The Highlanders' play continued to be marred by basic mistakes and the Lions became increasingly urgent in their defence.
The Highlanders regained the lead 12 minutes from the end when Sopoaga kicked his fifth penalty to make it 22-19.
The Lions mounted phase after phase, 16 in all, but a penalty brought some relief to the Highlanders. However, the Lions battered away and Wickus van Heerden crashed over for the winning try in the last minute.
Highlanders 22Try: Treeby
Con: Sopoaga
Pen: Sopoaga 5
Lions 26
Tries: Strauss, van Heerden
Con: Jantjies 2
Pen: Jantjies 4
HT: 16-9