Town's U21 side lost 1-0 at home to Swansea on Wednesday morning. Watching first-team manager Mick McCarthy won't have been impressed by what he saw, with Gwion Edwards's strike the difference between the two sides.
Town fielded overage players Michael Chopra and Nathan Ellington up front, while fringe youngsters Josh Carson, Luke Hyam and Massimo Luongo started in midfield.
Jack Ainsley's early close-range effort was clawed away by Swansea keeper Oliver Davies and Town continued to have the best of the opening exchanges.
However, the visitors came more into the game and extraordinarily hit the woodwork three times in a matter of seconds after 10 minutes.
Josh Sheehan hit a shot which cannoned off both posts before Loveridge's follow-up drive diverted off a post and flew wide.
The Swans took the lead on 26 minutes when Gwion Edwards hit a low effort into the corner of the net from the edge of the box.
Arran Lee-Barrett had to parry a fierce drive from Jazz Richards to safety, and Town's only other effort of the half saw Joe Whight's header sail harmlessly over the bar.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Town failing to impose themselves on the game.
Chopra's near-post effort from Ellington's cross was pushed away by Davies before Ellington was denied by a fine saving tackle from full-back Richards.
Although Town introduced Ronan Murray, the visitors always looked in control and they comfortably held on for all three points.
Ellington and Chopra in particular did not show the commitment or enthusiasm that you would have expected to see in front of their new boss.
Hyam was also out of the game for long periods, while Luongo and Carson did add some creativity during the second period.
A Town second string side is in action next Tuesday evening in their much-delayed Suffolk Premier Cup tie against Walsham-le-Willows at their Summer Road ground (KO 7.45pm).
U21s: Lee-Barrett, Hewitt, October, Hyam, Ainsley, Whight, Carson, Luongo, Ellington (Murray 78), Chopra, Lawrence. Unused: Crowe, Hammond, Thorsteinsson, Burke.
Report: James Ager