ACCRINGTON Stanley manager John Coleman insists his side need to keep going as they are now winless in their last five matches in League One.

The Reds were beaten 2-0 by promotion chasing Peterborough United on Tuesday night at the Wham Stadium thanks to goals either side of half time from Sammie Szmodics and Joe Ward.

Coleman spoke about the lack of options he has to change a game from the bench as Peterborough fielded Ivan Toney - a man who they rejected a £5 million bid for this transfer window.

"We certainly haven’t got the options that Peterborough have got, and we certainly haven’t got the starting options that Peterborough have got," said Coleman after Tuesday's defeat.

"They’ve turned down £5 million for Ivan Toney this week? We haven’t got a £5 million player, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t keep going.

"Nobody can dispute that we were well in the game, but for the deflected goal and they had a little spell just after the half hour mark.

"We made good chances, Joe Pritchard’s missed one at the far post, Dion Charles has had a header, Sadou Diallo’s missed a shot after two minutes.

"We’ve seen penalties given for what happened to Dion in the first half. I think we were well in it, but the game drifted away from us as soon as we conceded a second goal.

"They were better than us and we’ve just got to accept that."

Coleman believes his side went toe-to-toe with Darren Ferguson's side up until the second goal went in, which deflated the Reds and gave Posh confidence.

"I thought first half we were the better team. They were very fortunate to score the goal that they did, massive deflection that’s going straight down our keeper’s throat, but it’s gone in off the post," added Coleman.

"We’ve made a couple of chances before that and made some after that. Unfortunately, we’ve then done what we’ve done in three out of the last four games and concede in the first five minutes of the second half.

"That’s cost us the game. We got a bit ragged then, they’ve lifted their confidence and run through us a couple of times and could’ve added to it.

"We couldn’t get the ball down and play and when we did get it in wide areas, it just didn’t bounce for us. They’re a good side, they were better than us on the night. "If we hadn’t have conceded in the first five minutes of the second half, then we might have had a good chance in getting something out of the game."