Swansea City continued their pre-season preparations with a 2-0 defeat to Bristol Rovers at the Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday evening.
Jevani Brown's header midway through the second half set the visitors on their way, before John Marquis flicked home a late second to condemn the Swans to their second straight pre-season defeat under Michael Duff, who named a largely experiment starting XI.
The Northern Irishman chose to make five changes to the side which started the defeat to Oxford United on Friday night, with Ben Cabango missing out all together after coming off with a knock at the Kassam Stadium.
Kick-off was delayed by 15 minutes at the Swansea.com Stadium on Tuesday, but the initially vibrant hosts showed little sign of waiting around during the opening exchanges.
New signing Jerry Yates, once again handed minutes, must have thought he had scored after just six minutes but his bullet header was somehow clawed away by Rovers keeper James Belshaw from close range.
Rovers soon settled, and it wasn't long before they started to ask questions themselves.
Andy Fisher, who endured a difficult evening at Oxford, went some way to redeeming himself here, getting down well to deny a low drive from Aaron Collins and, moments later, Luke Thomas, with two smart saves.
Former Swan Scott Sinclair was next to warm Fisher's palms, but hit his speculative effort straight at the keeper minutes later.
Ollie Cooper fired a low drive just wide at the other end, but the visitors continued to ask questions, with Sinclair failing to find the target after getting on the end of a low Thomas cross.
Swansea nearly made Joey Barton's men pay for their early profligacy just after 30 minutes, with Jamie Paterson's audacious scoop on the edge of the box teeing up the onrushing Yates, who should have done more with the chance than knocking it out of play for a goal kick.
Rovers remained a threat, particularly on the counter, with Luke Thomas then sending a deflected effort over the bar.
Joel Piroe was introduced, along with Harry Darling and Jay Fulton, after the break in an effort to give the Swans more attacking bite, and straight away showed again just why he has so many admirers with several classy touches. He perhaps should have done better to get his effort on target after being played in by Paterson inside the opening 10 minutes of the restart, but his angled shot under pressure was steered well wide.
Fisher then saw his palms stung by a crashing long-range effort from Thomas, while substitute Marquis wasn't far away from getting on the end of an Aaron Collins cross minutes later.
But the Swans continued to create chances themselves. A fine breakaway from Ollie Cooper helped tee up Azeem Abdulai, but the youngster couldn't keep his curled effort down.
The gasps in the crowd suggested many thought Ollie Cooper had given his side the lead 20 minutes from time, but he couldn't find the target, after Cullen was denied by substitute keeper Matt Cox and Joel Cotterill had an effort blocked.
Swansea looked the more likely to find an opener, but a defensive lapse handed the visitors the lead on 76 minutes. A deep cross from Luke Thomas found Brown completely unmarked inside the area, and he duly headed home from close range.
It was a disappointing goal to concede, but Duff's defensive concerns were to be compounded as the clock ticked over the 90-minute mark. The Swans failed to deal with another cross towards the near-post, with Marquis flicking home a header to cap off a performance which will have given Duff plenty to ponder ahead of Saturday's clash with Reading.
Swansea City: Fisher; Key (Lissah 63), Wood (Cotterill 63), B. Cooper, Naughton (Darling 46); Abdulai (Lloyd 88), Grimes (c) (Fulton 46); O.Cooper (Joe Thomas 76), Paterson (Olivier Ntcham 76); Yates (Piroe 46), Cullen (Josh Thomas 76)
Subs: Webb, Hughes
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw (Cox 46), Hoole, Wilson (Crama 46), Connolly, Gordon (Jones 46), Finley (Shaw 84), Ward (Evans 46), Thomas (Lawrence 78), Collins (Trialist 84), Sinclair (Marquis 46), Brown (Greenslade 84).
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Key Events
GOAL! Swansea City 0-2 Bristol Rovers (Marquis)
Another cross.
Another free header from close range.
Four minutes added on here by the way.
Triple change
Josh, Joe Thomas and Olivier Nthcham replace Paterson, Ollie Cooper and Liam Cullen.
GOAL! Swansea City 0-1 Bristol Rovers (Brown)
Poor.
Cross from the right finds Jevani Brown unmarked, and he heads home from around five yards out.
Fisher called into action again
He's done well tonight.
Gets to his near post to get behind another speculative dirve. This time from Ryan Jones.
So close to an opener
So close to an opening. Fulton wins the ball brilliantly deep in the Rovers half.
Plays in Cullen, whose effort is saved
Cotterill's effort is blocked on the rebound.
Cooper then fires wide.
Over
Really good breakaway from Swansea
Ollie Cooper takes it on and feeds Abdulai out wide on the left.
He cuts inside and lets fly, but his curled effort is over the bar.
Collins still lively
The Rovers number 10 breaks free down the left before looking for Marquis inside the box with a low squred ball.
Just beyond him.
Fisher tested again
It's played short. Thomas picks up and then cuts inside before firing an effort goalwards from distance.
Stings the palms of Fisher, who holds.
Wide
Paterson finds Piroe with a diagonal cross towards the far post, but his angled shot is wide under pressure.
Another corner
Drilled to Fulton on the edge of the box. PLayed in behind the defence, but it's played out for asecond corner kick.
Finds Brandon Cooper at the far-post, but his header doesn't have enough on it to trouble Cox in goal.
Good block
Wood gets down well to produce a decent block at the near post to deny Marquis, who's one of several changes made by Bristol Rovers at full-time.
Fisher down well
All the way behind a long-range drive from Evans. Comfortable, really.
Second half
Piroe, Darling and Fulton are all introduced.
Grimes, Yates and Naughton all make way.
One more minute added on
One minute added on here.
Swansea have won another corner.
Grimes still trying to make something happen
Drills a ball through the midfield looking for Cooper, but it's beyond the Welshman and out for a corner.
Rovers still a threat
Particularly on the counter.
Sinclair surges away down the left, and Swansea don't deal with what's a pretty tame cross.
Drops for Thomas but his side-footed effort is deflected behind for a corner.
Swans clear their lines moments later.
Just not happening
Grimes plays a through ball through the heart of the defence on the edge of the box, but his team-mates aren't on the same wavelength.
Sublime from Paterson
Scoops the ball over his man on the edge of the box to find Yates, but his touch is heavy and it goes out for a goal kick.
High and wide
Thomas bursts away down the right and his ball across the box from the right finds Scott Sinclair onrushing into the box.
Misses the target.
