Peterborough 5 Chesterfield 2: Match verdict

Four of the hosts’ five goals at London Road came from range and Wilson blasted his players for not pressing higher up the pitch in order to close their shots down.

A Tom Nichols brace, plus further goals from Gwion Edwards, Paul Taylor and Michael Bostwick handed play-off chasing Posh the points, despite Ched Evans and Liam O’Neil netting for the visitors.

“What’s hurt me more than anything is we’ve conceded four goals from distance,” fumed under-pressure manager Wilson.

“We shouldn’t be conceding those and that’s down to ourselves. That’s no disrespect to the players [who have scored].

“It’s not down to our goalkeeper and defence, our players should be pressing them higher up the pitch.

“He can’t see the shots and that’s down to the players in front of him not protecting him properly.”

Scottish Liverpool loanee shot-stopper Ryan Fulton has conceded 21 goals in his last seven outings.

Pressure is starting to mount, with 23-year-old Lloyd Allinson hot on his heels for a starting berth.

Fans and critics alike have been calling for Allinson to replace Fulton once again, but Wilson was quick to jump to his under-fire goalkeeper’s defence.

“Lloyd is knocking on the door, there’s no doubt about it,” admitted Wilson.

“If you look at those goals that have gone in they’re not the goalkeeper’s fault.

“But you’ve got to look at the saves Ryan’s made and they’re world-class saves a couple of them.”

The Spireites were looking for a third successive league victory for the first time this season as they travelled to London Road. Dion Donohue was out with a niggle, whilst Gboly Ariyibi dropped to the bench as Wilson’s lengthy injury list started to finally get shorter.

Jon Nolan began his three-game suspension for his sending off against Wycombe Wanderers in the FA Cup.

Welshman Evans also came in for his first league start since defeat against former club Sheffield United, four league games ago.

The Spireites were spirited in attack but two lapses at either end of the first half saw the spoils shared at the break.

Wilson’s side got off to the worst possible start as Posh took the lead inside the first minute of the game.

Taylor whizzed his way down the left hand side and pulled the ball back for Nichols to net his seventh goal of the season via a deflection.

The visitors were given their just rewards in the 22nd minute as marksman Evans bagged his seventh of an injury-hit campaign so far after cutting inside on the edge of the box.

And three minutes later Wilson’s men led through O’Neil as he fired in a 30-yard lightning strike into the top corner.

The Spireites’ defence were caught napping on the stroke of the break as Gwion Edwards matched O’Neil’s stunner with his own from 25 yards out, which Ryan Fulton had no chance of stopping.

The promising signs the visitors showed before the interval were short-lived as Posh powered to victory in the second half.

Ten minutes after the resumption Taylor crashed home a volley from outside the area after the defence failed to clear their lines.

A couple of minutes later Fulton foiled Shaquile Coulthirst’s effort low to his left.

With 25 minutes left Nichols doubled his tally and put the result beyond all reasonable doubt with a smart finish past Fulton.

Inside the last 10 minutes Bostwick bagged the fifth with a daisy-cutter.