Swansea City boss Michael Duff says his side 'shot themselves in the foot' defensively in the defeat to Ipswich Town on Saturday - but insists there were positives to take from the defeat in Suffolk.

After taking the lead through Jay Fulton, the Swans were undone by strikes from Jack Taylor, Conor Chaplin and a penalty from George Hirst, although Jamal Lowe did net a late second.

Duff believes all three goals conceded by his side, and the sending off of Liam Cullen, all arrived on the back of his side's inability to deal with Ipswich's set-piece threat, an issue that has proved a thorny one for his side in the past.

RATINGS: Swansea City player ratings as forward refuses to throw in towel but defence torn apart

REPORT: Ipswich 3-2 Swansea City: 10-man visitors slip to defeat at Portman Road

Indeed, Swansea have been working hard to address their solidity in that department in the last few weeks, with the work of coach Martyn Margetson credited as a big influence in what's been a marked improvement in recent weeks.

The Swans were in fact the second best side in the league for fewest goals conceded from set-pieces before the trip to East Anglia.

"I thought there were elements of our game that were excellent," Duff said after the game. "But ultimately, if you break the game down into really simplistic terms we've been beaten by a 35-yard screamer, conceded from a throw-in, conceded a penalty from a set-piece, and had a man sent off from a throw-in.

"It's three set-plays ultimately against a really good team. We kept the ball really well, and started the game on the front foot but then shot ourselves in the foot with a mad 15 minutes but we got back into it.

"When we went down to 10 men I thought we were excellent. When nine minutes goes up and we've got ten men and they're timewasting it tells you everything in that part of the performance. So I was really pleased with some of the character, but ultimately it's frustrating.

"People make mistakes. I think we're second in the league for defending set plays. But that just adds to the frustration. If we'd come here and were turgid and got beat 4-0, you'd accept being beaten by a better team.

"But I think we showed real good quality in elements of our game today. I think you can see some of the work that's been going on. We've just got to keep chipping away.

"I've spoken to you before that I want to get to a point where we're dominating the ball and keeping clean sheets. We're doing little bits and bobs at the minute, not quite the full package."

Meanwhile, Duff was left fuming at Dane Scarlett's late tackle on Matt Grimes in the last ten minutes of the defeat. The Ipswich substitute was shown a yellow card for the tackle on the edge of the Swansea box, with Grimes receiving lengthy treatment. Josh Tymon too had to receive attention from the medical staff at one point.

"They were poor decisions," he added. "I think the one on Grimes is a really bad tackle. He's out of control and off his feet. I think they've come through it [without an injury].

"The frustration now is we get a two-week break, but we've working with a group of 12, 13 really, and five or six are leaving for international break so we won't be able to see them for a week. So it's going to be difficult to do 11v11 with six or seven players.

"So it's another bit of frustration."