Ferguson: Posh not worthy of point

Chesterfield leapfrogged their opponents with their victory and the three-goal lead they held with less than an hour gone could have been even more substantial with more clinical finishing.

But they were hanging on at 3-2 with two of the added five minutes to play when Harry Beautyman took advantage of a mix-up in the Chesterfield defence to seize on the ball and race free on the home goal. He looked odds-on to score but keeper Tommy Lee made a superb save to keep all three points in his team's possession.

"We are 22 games in to the season and at this level, certainly in my time here, we've competed and expected to compete in the top two or top six" said Ferguson.

"You'd have to say after 22 games that we are falling short of that. If we had managed a draw today it would have masked that, but the fact is that we are falling short and that is the truth.

"Our last three performances have not been perfect but you could see that we were at least getting back on track, getting back to something like we were producing at the start of the season.

"Today we started the game well but after it went from 1-0 to 3-0, Chesterfield had far too much for us. They were very good whereas we were poor. So today was a big disappointment to us in terms of that, and Sunday now becomes a big game for us."

Chesterfield first-team coach Kevin Lynch was pleased his men did enough in the first period to claim all three points.

He said: "We were outstanding in the first half, some of the movement and the goals we scored were first class, a fantastic team performance.

"Respect to Peterborough, they are a great team with a great manager, but full credit to our lads today."

The country's leading goal scorer, Chesterfield's Eoin Doyle - returning after missing last Saturday's win at Gillingham, took just 10 minutes to get back on the goal trail.

Full-back Tendayi Darikwa made a strong run down the right and Doyle turned his low driven cross into the net from eight yards to put Chesterfield ahead.

Doyle turned provider for the Spireites' second goal nine minutes before half-time. A flick from Gary Roberts found him in space on the left and he rolled the ball across for strike partner Armand Gnanduillet to side-foot home.

Peterborough, who had played second fiddle for the entire first half, looked brighter after the break but were rocked when Doyle took a short pass from Romuald Boco and fired a 20-yard effort that gave keeper Ben Alnwick no chance as it flashed inside the post.

The visitors gave themselves hope when full-back Michael Bostwick headed in from Marcus Maddison's free-kick around the hour mark.

Maddison made it 3-2 shortly afterwards as his ball in from the left wing beat home keeper Tommy Lee, who was put off by Luke James, as the striker slid in to try to make contact.

But Chesterfield hung on to gain revenge for last year's defeat by Peterborough in the Johnston Paint Trophy final at Wembley.