Jerry Yates’ eighth goal of the season was not enough to prevent Swansea City suffering defeat against Ipswich Town at the Swansea.com Stadium.
The hosts had trailed to Nathan Broadhead’s delicate finish early on, but responded well to level when Yates turned in from close range.
However, the Tractor Boys quickly restored their lead when Conor Chaplin finished off a sweeping attack in the 34th minute.
Luke Williams’ side had plenty of pressure and promising moments during the second period, but they were unable to find another leveller.
The Swans had shown four changes from the midweek defeat to Leeds as Joe Allen, Yates, Kyle Naughton and Ollie Cooper all came into the starting line-up.
There was a lively start with Omari Hutchinson delivering a threatening ball into the Swansea box inside 30 seconds before the hosts swept up the other end for Ronald to also deliver.
The first big chance went the way of the visitors when the Swans were unable to clear a Hutchinson cross, and Leif Davis forced Carl Rushworth into a fingertip save from his volley.
From the resulting corner Cameron Burgess glanced a header wide from Broadhead’s delivery.
But there was no let-off in the 13th minute when Broadhead advanced through the middle of the Swansea defence to send a delicate chip past the Swansea keeper and into the far corner of the net after being sent through by Hutchinson.
The hosts sought an instant response with Cooper and Ronald delivering from the right, before Yates was unable to connect cleanly when Jamie Paterson’s free-kick found him unmarked just beyond the penalty spot.
But the visitors looked a real threat and one flowing move took them from their own box into the Swansea area, where Harry Clarke had a cross blocked away for a corner, from which Kieffer Moore headed wide.
At the other end, Yates glanced a header off target before Rushworth plucked a Broadhead cross out of the air with blue shirts waiting in the middle.
But the Swans would level just beyond the half-hour mark through Yates. Matt Grimes floated a ball to the back post where Ben Cabango nodded it down for the striker to bundle in from close range.
The goal lifted the energy inside the stadium and only good defending prevented Ronaldo sliding in to meet a Paterson cross moments later.
However, Swansea were only level for three minutes as a raking pass sent Davis racing into space down the left, and his measured cutback was dispatched into the bottom corner by Chaplin.
It could have been worse for the Swans but Moore was unable to make clean contact with another Davis centre as the hosts trailed at the interval.
Chaplin dragged an effort wide from the edge of the area early in the second period, before Rushworth gathered in an ambitious effort from Massimo Luongo.
But Swansea should have levelled in the 52snd minute when Grimes glanced a header towards the far post from Ronald’s cross. However, Yates could not get there in time to turn the ball home.
Naughton then skipped his way past a host of would-be tacklers, but opted to try and pass when space opened up for a shot.
Swansea kept the pressure on but, when Ipswich managed to get out, it took a superb stop from Rushworth to tip Moore’s fizzing drive onto the crossbar.
Williams made a triple change just after the hour as Liam Cullen, Charlie Patino and Mykola Kuharevich replaced Yates, Allen and Cooper respectively.
Przemyslaw Placheta soon followed in place of Ronald as Swansea pressed for an equaliser as the contest headed into its final 20 minutes.
Cabango made an important clearance as Moore tried to pick out Marcus Harness from a rapid Ipswich counter.
At the other end an excellent Swansea attack ended with Cullen seeing a scuffed shot blocked from a Paterson cut-back across the edge of the 18-yard box before Kuharevich headed a Naughton cross well over the bar.
Rushworth denied Jeremy Sarmiento with the game becoming increasingly stretched, and Cullen headed straight at Vaclav Hladky in the visiting goal.
Hladky then made a terrific save as Harry Darling's shot took a wicked deflection, the Ipswich keeper managing to stick out a hand to claw the ball away and deny Swansea a late leveller.
Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Ben Cabango, Joe Allen (Charlie Patino 63), Matt Grimes (captain), Jerry Yates (Liam Cullen 63), Jamie Paterson, Josh Tymon, Nathan Wood, Kyle Naughton (Harry Darling 85), Ollie Cooper (Mykola Kuharevich 63), Ronald (Przemyslaw Placheta 70).
Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Jay Fulton, Harry Darling, Charles Sagoe Jr, Filip Lissah.
Ipswich Town: Vaclac Hladky, Harry Clarke, Leif Davis, Sam Morsy (captain), Luke Woolfenden, Conor Chaplin (Marcus Harness 69), Cameron Burgess, Omari Hutchinson (Wes Burns 69), Kieffer Moore (Ali Al-Hamadi 80), Massimo Luongo (Lewis Travis 83), Nathan Broadhead (Jeremy Sarmiento 69)
Unused Substitutes: Christian Walton, George Edmundson, Kayden Jackson, Cameron Humphreys.
Referee: John Busby
Attendance: 16,646
