Stoke manager Mark Hughes felt his side paid the price for lacking an attacking edge as they fell to a 2-0 Premier League defeat at Swansea on Saturday.
Late goals from Jefferson Montero and Ki Sung-yueng almost guaranteed that Swansea will end the season in the top eight, while the Potters had defender Marc Wilson sent off in the 85th minute.
The result leaves Stoke in 10th place in the table, and Hughes believes his side were not strong enough in possession to trouble the Swans.
"The second half we didn't really ask too many questions of Swansea," the Welshman said. "I thought we were very comfortable in the first half.
"We had the majority of possession without really having that cutting edge in the final third. Our retention of the ball wasn't quite good enough to get people up the pitch and in the box.
"Our creative play was missing and that was disappointing because I felt it was a real opportunity to get something out of the game."
On Wilson's dismissal -- the first time Stoke have had a player sent off in the Premier League this term -- Hughes added: "The first was a coming together and probably looked more than it was.
"It was a foul but I'm not sure if it was yellow card. But when you've got a yellow card you've got to steer clear of those situations Marc found himself in.
"He's tripped the lad going through and unfortunately he's had to go off, and from that point it was difficult to affect the game."