Peterborough United fall down to earth with an almighty bump as they equal their record home defeat in a Football League match

The final scoreline was harsh on Posh given their first-half efforts going forward, but it’s another game against a top side that has emphasised how tall an order promotion for this set of players will be. A joint record Football League defeat will damage confidence among players and supporters.

Posh started the day with one win against a team in the top nine, a record that doesn’t look improving any time soon. This ended up as a thrashing against ruthless opponents bolstered by gifted loan players from a couple of the biggest clubs in the land.

Dion Charles came from Accrington Stanley though and he claimed an eight-minute hat-trick with the help of two penalties. To the annoyance no doubt of Posh fans with long memories Ricard Santos claimed the first and last goals of the game.

The dreadful performance of referee Lee Swabey will doubtless prove to be a handy excuse for those looking for one, but even his erratic display can’t explain this margin of victory.

The second-half capitulation should be attracting far more attention.

Posh played pretty well in an all-action first 45 minutes, but were exposed by an early free-kick which Santos turned over the line.

And the visitors extended their lead three minutes before the break after a slick passing move led to a blatant foul from Nathan Thompson on Manchester United loanee Shola Shoretire and a penalty which Charles converted with ease.

Posh should have equalised two minutes before that when top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris inexplicably missed with a free header at the far post from a Joe Ward corner.

It was the biggest test of manager Darren Ferguson’s fourth coming at London Road. Posh have won the previous three matches under Ferguson who has now named the same starting XI for all four games.

Dan Butler held onto the left-back slot despite pressure from on-loan Nathanael Ogbeta. Deadline day signing Kabongo Tshimanga remained on the substitutes’ bench. Key midfielder Jack Taylor shrugged off an ankle knock to start.

Bolton, for their 5,000th Football League match, gave a debut to on-loan Manchester City defender Luke Mbete.

Posh started the match seventh, nine points behind the fifth-placed Trotters, but with three matches in hand. Bolton had also won their last three League One games.

Posh midfielder Jack Taylor started after shaking off an ankle injury, but Bolton are without eight players because of injury or suspension.

Posh started well with Thompson forcing a diving save from on-loan Manchester City keeper James Trafford in the fifth minute.

Posh found joy down the left through the positive running of Ephron Mason-Clark, but he couldn’t find a left-footed cross to match his athleticism.

A soft free kick, one conceded by Frankie Kent, in keeping with Swabey’s poor first-half display enabled Bolton to open the scoring in the 12th minute.

Aaron Morley’s excellent whipped cross should have been converted immediately by Santos, but Posh failed to clear and Gethin Jones followed up to shoot at goal. The ball appeared to strike Santos before crossing the line and vehement Posh appeals for offside were ignored and the officials were proven right by instant video footage.

Hector Kyprianou was cautioned for his fierce protests.

Within a minute Mason-Clark shot straight at Trafford after a neat Poku pass. Trafford also handled a strong strike from Clarke-Harris before watching a Kyprianou shot deflect just wide.

Clarke-Harris missed his sitter from the corner and Bolton were soon up the other end celebrating a second goal.

And any thoughts of a rousing comeback were dispelled in the opening stages of the second-half.

Two minutes in and Butler was beaten in the air out wide and then left behind by his opponent whose precise cross was blasted home by Charles from close range.

And three minutes later Swabey awarded what looked like a ridiculously soft penalty after Shoretire threw himself to the ground yet again between Kent and Kyprianou. Charles went precisely into the other corner this time.

Posh tried to respond. A decent free-kick from Clarke-Harris was beaten away well by Trafford and Ward shot straight at the ‘keeper after working an opportunity for himself.

But they fizzled out weakly. Ferguson’s frustration saw a yellow card thrust in his direction, one of seven in the game.

And Bolton completed their own glorious day when some hopeless right-sided defending saw a cross meekly allowed into the penalty area with the ball falling nicely for Santos to power home.

Mason-Clark kept running at least and threatened a consolation twice late on, but this was an eye-opening result and a second-half display which made a mockery of promotion talk.

Posh: Will Norris, Nathan Thompson (sub Josh Knight, 68 mins), Dan Butler (sub Nathanel Ogbeta, 51 mins), Frankie Kent, Ronnie Edwards, Hector Kyprianou, Jack Taylor (sub Ben Thompson, 75 mins), Joe Ward, Kwame Poku (sub Ricky-Jade Jones, 75 mins), Ephron Mason-Clark, Jonson Clarke-Harris (sub Kabongo Tshimanga, 68 mins).

Unused substitutes: Harrison Burrows, Will Blackmore.

Bolton: James Trafford, Gethin Jones, Declan John (sub Randell Williams, 78 mins), Ricardo Santos, Luke Mbete (sub Lloyd Isgrove, 79 mins), Eoin Toal, Kyle Dempsey, Kieran Lee, Aaron Morley, Shola Shoretire (sub Cameron Jerome, 63 mins), Dion Charles (sub Victor Adeboyejo, 63 mins).

Unused substitutes: Joel Dixon, Josh Sheehan, Nelson Khumbeni.

Goals: Bolton – Santos (12 mins & 78 mins), Charles (pen, 42 mins, 57 mins & pen 50 mins).

Cautions: Posh – Kyprianou (dissent), Poku (delaying the restart), Taylor (foul), Ferguson (manager, dissent).

Bolton – Charles (foul), Santos (foul), Shoretire (delaying the re-start).

Referee: Lee Swabey 4.

Attendance: 9,247 (1,725 Bolton fans).