Cape Town - Lions captain Josh Strauss has lashed out at the performance of referee Mark Lawrence after their 27-17 loss to the Stormers at Newlands on Saturday.

The Lions nearly caused an upset, trailing only 13-10 with less than ten minutes to go before the Stormers closed the game out in the dying minutes.

But Strauss believes the result could have looked different had Lawrence blown certain scenarios differently.

"Some of those calls I thought were not fair, and when it came at crucial times, it cost us," Strauss told SAPA.

"It was very frustrating coping with some of Mark Lawrence's calls.

"We're a side that play for each other and we've played together in the Currie Cup.

"We need a little bit of luck to convert those close games to wins."

The Lions' stand-in coach, Johann Ackermann, believed the match was there for the taking but inexperience allowed the Stormers to land the knock-out blow in the final seven minutes.

"At 13-10 with nine minutes left, we were definitely still in the game," Ackermann said.

"It came down to a lack of experience and there were signs of nerves.

"We will have to learn to focus on what must be done.

"Our scrum went very well, despite changes to the pack before the game."