Riding on the back of Israel Dagg's boot and referee Stuart Dickinson's whistle, the Highlanders showed some steel against a Lions team which unravelled in the middle 50 minutes of the match to concede its seventh loss in a row.
It was a match punctuated by whistle and had numerous momentum shifts. The Highlanders overcame a poor start to eventually run away with the game to win.
The Lions came home in the final 10 minutes of the match and ended up scoring five tries to three but were let down by indiscipline.
They were too often on the wrong end of Dickinson's whistle and with Dagg in deadly form with the boot - he missed just once - it was always going to be tough for the visiting team.
The Highlanders scored 33 points in a row in the 40 minutes in the middle of the game and made the most of their chances while the Lions showed why they have not won a game all season.
The dominant figure of the match was referee Dickinson, as he handed out penalties left, right and centre, and did not do a lot for the flow of the game.
He signalled nearly 30 penalties in the match and the penalty try he gave to the Highlanders halfway through the second half sealed the match for the home team.
The Highlanders were rolling towards the line from a maul and Dickinson ruled the Lions had disturbed the maul, and gave the Highlanders the five-pointer.
That gave the home team a 39-17 lead and effectively the match was over, although the Lions scored twice in the final 12 minutes.
The Highlanders were unlucky not to score a fourth try but Dickinson again found a penalty for an debatable obstruction when replacement winger Fetu'u Vainikolo dived under the posts.
Best for the home team was Dagg, winger Ben Smith and openside flanker John Hardie, while lock Hayden Triggs got round the paddock.
Best for the visitors was captain and loose forward Cobus Grobbelaar, while halfback Jano Vermaak was tidy.
The Highlanders had a totally forgettable first 30 minutes but by halftime were actually in front.
Knocking the ball on twice in the first five minutes, the Highlanders were then penalised for offside at the ruck.
The Lions swung on to attack, and after two rolling mauls moved the ball blind, where fullback Michael Killian burst through a couple of ineffectual tackles to score in the corner.
Spencer knocked over the conversion from the sideline.
But the Highlanders came straight back into the game from the kick-off when the Lions conceded a penalty and Israel Dagg put his side on the board.
But it was very much a false dawn as the Lions swung on to attack and from a line-out 10m out got their rolling maul going again and Grobbelaar went over.
Spencer missed the conversion.
The first-half nightmare continued for the Highlanders.
From a line-out 5m out, the Lions put in 10 men to try and get their third try from a rolling maul. They were stopped just short, but then spun it wide and created the overlap for winger Wigan Pekeur to score.
The Highlanders were down 17-6 and were staring down the barrel.
But they finally woke up and managed to put an attack together on the half-hour mark.
Centre Kendrick Lynn made a break and after a couple of supporting passes, Triggs barged over.
Dagg added the extras and suddenly the home side was back in the game.
Dagg then knocked over another couple of penalties and the Highlanders went into the shed at the break to be five points ahead.
• In the curtain-raiser to last night's game Dunedin beat Lawrence 88-10 in the Heartland Cup.
Ahead 36-3 at halftime, the Dunedin side ran amok for most of the game, and scored 14 tries against an outgunned Lawrence unit.
• THE SCORES
Highlanders - 39 : Hayden Triggs, Kendrick Lynn tries; penalty try; Israel Dagg 3 conversions, 6 penalty goals
Lions - 29 : Wigan Pekeur 2, Michael Killian, Cobus Grobbelaar, JP Joubert tries; Carlos Spencer conversion, Earl Rose conversion
Halftime: 22-17.
Crowd: 5000.
