The Highlanders were handed their fifth defeat of the season after squandering a fast start in Perth, going down 29-20 to the Force.
The Highlanders held a 20-7 lead after 27 minutes but things didn’t go their way from there. The Force scored two tries before the break to close the gap to one.
Then Sean Withy was red-carded for an accidental knee to the head after sliding in late when Harry Potter dived over to give the Force the lead early in the second half.
The Force extended their lead with a George Poolman try and held on for the nine-point win to lift them into the top four.