UPDATE: Reds coach Brad Thorn says his side needs to stop the "self-inflicted" wounds that are preventing them from turning strong moments into winning matches.
The Reds defended ferociously to overcome a 13-man stint early in the second half and held the lead inside the final 20 minutes but fell to the Lions 27-20 in Johannesburg.
While they did not concede a point when undermanned, their courageous effort could not mitigate the frustration that it was their own errors that put them in that situation.
"There's some stuff going on there," Thorn said of another dominant set-piece showing from the Reds forwards and a defensive effort that allowed the Reds to take the lead late in the match despite having only a fraction of the possession and field position of their rivals.
"I don't want to take away from the Lions or the Brumbies (last week's opponents) but you don't want to be assisting with that outcome."
Despite heading into the game on a wet Ellis Park track with the plan of keeping the Lions inside their own half, the Reds had scant possession and territory in the opening half conceded the lead heading into halftime when, with prop Taniela Tupou sin binned after continued infringements from the visitors, Marnus Schoeman crossed from an uncontested maul to hand his side a 17-13 lead at the break.
Having made twice as many tackles as their rivals in the first term, the Reds were out to play smarter in the second term but instead increased the pressure on themselves when debutant josh Nasser - on for the sin binned Tupou - was handed his own yellow card for striking at the legs of an opponent in a maul.
Like Thorn, captain Liam Wright was left to lament the Reds' errors.
"It's annoying to keep coming to (media) at the end and say we were so close and yet so far," Wright said.
"We're costing ourselves with poor discipline. We kept ourselves in our own half too much.
"It was wet-weather footy and we tried to come with a game plan of keeping them in their own half and it didn't go as planned, so that's something we need to fix during and bring to the Jaguares next week."
The Reds did not concede a point when undermanned and with their pack firing against the fancied Lions, took the lead to threaten a famous victory when Tate McDermott dived over in the 61st minute.
But a failure to maintain possession and a territorial advantage told quickly on the exhausted Reds and when Skosan was put into a gap in the 67th minute, they were finally unable to scramble their way out of trouble.
Thorn said there was an overwhelming feeling of disappointment in the group.
While both losses - to the Brumbies in round one and against the Lions - resulted in a bonus point for losing by seven points or fewer, there was angst at not getting the job done.
"Similar to last week, the game's in the balance and you're not getting the result," he said.
"Well done to the Lions, they had more composure and got the job done.
"It makes it hard when you're down to 13 there. There are just little moments when you can take some opportunities.
"It's something that we need to continue to work on, those moments in games where you win or lose them and we've got to get our heads around that.
"For us it was disappointing but we're had the learnings from that and we've got another tough trip to Argentina."
After winning back-to-back penalties in the opening minutes, the Reds decided to take a penalty shot which Bryce Hegarty converted for a 3-0 lead.
But they undid their good work almost immediately, Taniela Tupou conceding a penalty for cleaning out illegally at the breakdown and when the Lions spun the ball wide the Reds rushed up in defence and were caught out when flyhalf Elton Jantjies put a grubber behind the line for winger Tyrone Green to pounce on.
The Reds struck back quickly when Jock Campbell was able to scoop up a kick from fullback Andries Coetzee - soccering on from an earlier Jantjies grubber - and after a quick one-two with McDermott, raced away to score a try.
After allowing their advantage to slip against the Brumbies last week, the Reds forward were determined to maintain a physical presence against the Lions but overstepped the mark early, giving away penalties that allowed the home side to camp in their 22 and build pressure.
It told on the Reds, with Green scoring his second of the match after the Lions controlled several phases before finally slipping the ball wide for the winger to finish.
After the Reds capitalised on another penalty against the Lions and took the three points, they were looking strong.
But errors cruelled their chances and they continued to be starved of the ball and play in their own half.
Despite some outstanding defence, the pressure eventually told, with Tupou yellow carded for repeated Reds infringements, the extra man finally allowing the Lions to score with Schoeman touching down from an uncontested maul.
Things looked disastrous for the Reds early in the second half when Nasser - on the field for the sin binned Tupou - also received a yellow card after striking at the legs of a player in the maul.
It left the Reds with 13 men for six minutes but they held firm, with Henry Speight denying Green a hat-trick with a desperate tackle that dragged the singer's foot across the touch line.
Having managed their numerical disadvantage, the Reds could have been forgiven for being out of energy.
Instead they took the fight to the Lions, Harry Wilson looking to have scored before he was ruled to have touched down short of the tryline.
But continued pressure allowed them to keep pressing and livewire half McDermott crossed under the sticks to give the visitors an unlikely lead.
The dam finally burst for the Reds though, with winger Courtnall Skosan racing over to break Queensland hearts and regain the lead for the Lions.
A late penalty put the Lions seven in front and the Reds could not conjure a late miracle to register a second consecutive loss despite their brave effort.
RESULT
LIONS 27
Tries: Green 2, M Schoeman, Skosan
Cons: Jantjies 2
Pens: Jantjies
REDS 20
Tries: Campbell, McDermott
Cons: Hegarty 2
Pens: Hegarty 2
Cards: Tupou 39', Nasser 42'
