Swansea City fell to defeat against Plymouth Argyle at the Swansea.com Stadium as Morgan Whittaker's strike proved the difference.
Whittaker scored the only goal of the game for the Pilgrims, finishing from a first-half corner, with the Swans left to rue several wasted chances on the club’s dedicated Maggie’s matchday.
Ben Cabango, Jamie Paterson, Jerry Yates and Charlie Patino were all unable to take good chances, while Liam Cullen hit the bar late on.
New signing Ronald caught the eye on his first start, and head coach Luke Williams will be disappointed his side did not make more of the opportunities they created.
The Swans had shown four changes from the defeat at Leicester. Ronald was handed his full debut, with Cabango, Kyle Naughton and Ollie Cooper coming into the starting XI.
Deadline-day arrivals Charles Sagoe Jr and Przemyslaw Placheta were among the Swansea substitutes.
The hosts should have led inside six minutes. Nathan Wood’s presence caused problems in the Plymouth defence but Cabango could only fire the loose ball over from around eight yards.
Swansea then sent Ronald careering into space on the right, with his deep cross forcing a hurried clearance for a corner as Cooper arrived at the far post.
Cooper went down in the box with Ashley Phillips seeming to have hold of the Wales international’s shirt, but referee Sam Allison waved away the Swansea appeals.
The midfielder was proving a lively presence, and good pressing saw him win the ball back high up the pitch before seeing a shot from the edge of the area deflected wide.
At the other end Carl Rushworth made a fine stop to tip a Whittaker volley over the bar, after the former Swans had seized on a loose header from Josh Tymon.
But Whittaker did open the scoring from the resulting corner, a rehearsed routine ending with the forward sending a left-footed effort arrowing into the net.
Rushworth prevented Ryan Hardie adding a second for the visitors, holding his rising near-post drive before Swansea created a big chance.
Cabango’s pass found Ronald’s out-to-in run and the Brazilian pulled the ball back for Paterson, but the midfielder sent his effort well over the bar from 18 yards.
Lovely slick build-up between Paterson, Matt Grimes and Tymon then ended with the full-back only being denied a clear sight of goal by a tremendous covering challenge from a Plymouth defender.
Chances kept coming Swansea’s way, and Conor Hazard in the Plymouth goal made a point-blank stop from Yates after the striker got on to Ronald’s excellent low cross.
Ronald was soon on the run again, breaking into the box only to see his cutback picked off before it could reach Yates as the Swans trailed at the interval.
But it was the new arrival causing problems again soon after the restart, stretching his legs before delivering a cross which Yates headed wide at the near post.
Williams sent on Placheta for his debut in place of Jay Fulton, and seconds later Plymouth nearly extended their lead as the ball pinged around the Swansea area, with Hardie and Mickel Miller among those unable to convert.
Placheta was soon involved, twice getting into space down the left only to see his low crosses cut out before reaching another white shirt.
Tymon surged into the area but was caught as he attempted to shoot, before Placheta fired over after his own infield surge and Miller hit the side-netting at the other end.
Swansea came forward again, Hazard palming the ball off the line after a Placheta cross had struck a defender and looped towards goal.
Sagoe Jr became the game’s second debutant for the Swans when he and Patino replaced Cooper and Ronald respectively.
Cullen, another substitute, then clipped the bar with a strike from distance, and Patino could not beat Hazard from close range after meeting Cabango's knockdown, as it ended in defeat for the hosts.
Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Jay Fulton (Przemyslaw Placheta 57), Ben Cabango, Matt Grimes (captain), Jerry Yates (Liam Cullen 68), Jamie Paterson, Josh Tymon, Nathan Wood, Kyle Naughton, Ollie Cooper (Charlie Patino 77), Ronald (Charles Sagoe Jr 77).
Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Joe Allen, Mykola Kuharevich, Bashir Humphreys, Filip Lissah.
Plymouth Argyle: Conor Hazard, Bali Mumba (Matthew Sorinola 86), Ryan Hardie (Ben Waine 75), Morgan Whittaker (captain) (Julio Pleguezuelo 90), Mickel Miller (Lind Sousa 86), Alfie Devine (Adam Randell 75), Lewis Gibson, Darko Gyabi, Brendan Galloway, Ashley Phillips, Adam Forshaw.
Unused Substitutes: Callum Burton,Callum Wright, Caleb Roberts, Freddie Issaka.
Referee: Sam Allison
Attendance: 16,965
