Swansea City suffered defeat to Championship leaders Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had put the Foxes ahead in just the third minute, firing home after being sent in behind the Swansea defence.

However, the visitors settled after a difficult start, with Jerry Yates, Jamie Paterson and Harry Darling all unable to convert presentable opportunities.

And those misses proved crucial as a Stephy Mavididi penalty and Yunus Akgun’s finish ensured there was no way back, despite Joe Allen netting a late goal following an improved showing from Luke Williams’ side.

For the Swans there was the welcome sight of Ben Cabango making a return from injury as a substitute, while new signing Ronald showed glimpses of his pace and ability as he got 45 minutes under his belt on debut.

But there will be frustration that the Swans did not make more of the good spells they had in the contest against a side seemingly destined for an immediate return to the Premier League.

Swansea had shown four changes from the FA Cup defeat at Bournemouth as Carl Rushworth, Darling, Josh Tymon and Paterson came into the starting lineup, while Ronald and Cabango were among the substitutes.

The visitors spurned a fine chance inside 90 seconds as Paterson picked off a loose Leicester pass and fed in Yates, but the striker’s effort from a narrowing angle was saved by Mads Hermansen.

Instead the hosts swept up the other end to lead themselves, a pass in behind from Patson Daka freed Dewsbury-Hall and he ran on unimpeded to fire beyond a helpless Rushworth.

The Swans were soon on the back foot again, Tymon clearing away at the far post as Kasey McAteer waited to turn in a Callum Doyle cross.

Nathan Wood then headed clear a McAteer cross after the centre-half had played the Foxes wideman onside from a ball down the line.

Rushworth kept out a deflected effort from Daka, before the Leicester forward missed an absolute sitter after Dewsbury-Hall had split the Swansea defence with a well-timed run.

Swansea threatened an equaliser when Liam Cullen drove forward to feed Yates, the striker worked room for a shot from 20 yards but his rising strike curled just over the bar.

Yates had another effort a few minutes later, turning on a loose ball and forcing Hermansen to get down quickly to his right to hold.

Hermansen then had to race off his line to head away Cullen’s lofted pass as Paterson raced to get on the end of it with the visitors enjoying a better spell.

But it took a magnificent save from Rushworth to keep the deficit to a solitary goal at the interval, as he tipped Daka’s effort onto the bar in first-half stoppage time.

The Swans started the second half with Ronald on in place of Harrison Ashby, and the Brazilian got away an early shot on goal as he flicked the ball over a defender before sending a low volley straight at Hermansen.

But the Swans had a let-off when Dewsbury-Hall failed to hit the target when McAteer’s cross flew through to him at the far post.

Swansea wasted a chance of their own when Paterson’s free-kick found Darling unmarked in the middle, but the defender’s effort slid wide of the post.

That was the defender’s last action as he was forced off after needing treatment on the hour mark, with Kyle Naughton his replacement.

McAteer blazed over before Paterson came agonisingly close to getting the Swans level, sweeping onto a poor pass and curling a low strike just wide of the post with Hermansen at full stretch.

But Swansea’s task was made all the more difficult when Daka robbed Bashir Humphreys on halfway and raced in on goal, Nathan Wood covered but was deemed to have fouled the forward as he slid in to try and block any shot on goal, and Mavididi made no mistake from the spot to double the home side’s lead.

And it was soon 3-0 as the Swans were unable to clear a loose ball in the box and Akgun was on hand to send a low shot through the defenders into the far corner.

That quickfire double left the visitors facing an insurmountable task as it ended in defeat, although Allen did get the Swans on the scoresheet as he turned the ball in after Wood's header was not cleared by the home defence.

Swansea City: Carl Rushworth, Jay Fulton (Joe Allen 80), Harry Darling (Kyle Naughton 61), Matt Grimes (captain), Jerry Yates, Jamie Paterson, Josh Tymon, Liam Cullen (Ollie Cooper 80), Nathan Wood, Harrison Ashby (Ronald 46), Bashir Humphreys (Ben Cabango 71).

Unused Substitutes: Andy Fisher, Kristian Pedersen, Charlie Patino, Mykola Kuharevich.

Leicester City: Mads Hermansen, Wout Faes, Callum Doyle, Harry Winks, Stephy Mavididi, Patson Daka (Tom Cannon 79), Ricardo Pereira (captain), Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Arvan Raikhy 88), Jannik Vestergaard (Ben Nelson 88), Dennis Praet (Yunus Akgun 55), Kasey McAteer (Marc Albrighton 79).

Unused Substitutes: Jakub Stolarczyk, Conor Coady, Jamie Vardy, Hamza Choudhury.

Referee: Keith Stroud

Attendance: 28,025