ACCRINGTON Stanley swept aside a poor Chesterfield side to leap back up the League Two table and put their automatic promotion hopes back in their own hands.

The Reds didn’t have to be at their best to record a comprehensive 4-0 victory and climb to fourth position.

John Coleman selected the same team that started the abandoned game with Morecambe on New Year’s Day and they started positively with midfielder Scott Brown testing debutant Spireites keeper Aaron Ramsdale within the first few minutes.

Chesterfield had some joy down the left with Zavon Hines but posed no big threats and the home side seemed to have a degree of control.

They went in front thanks to a man having a better day than his football namesake; Mark Hughes. While the Stoke manager was en-route to losing his job, the Stanley defender set about making a key contribution, blocking from Hines at one end before opening the scoring for his side.

A well worked short corner saw Sean McConville find Kayden Jackson and his low ball in found Hughes, who took a touch, adjusted and smashed the ball high into the net from inside the area.

Another Chesterfield new boy, midfielder Josh Kay, mustered their only response with a shot over the bar but the Reds looked more likely to go further in front with Liam Nolan testing Ramsdale again.

Soon the Reds did extend their lead and in some style, with Callum Johnson finding Jackson and his pass to McConville released the winger who bent a brilliant effort from 20 yards into the right corner of the net to make it 2-0.

It could have been more comfortable before the break too, with Jordan Clark racing onto Jackson’s pass down the right but only able to arrow his strike wide of the far post.

After the interval there was no time for a Chesterfield fightback before an aberration from Ramsdale gifted Stanley a third goal.

Brown threaded in Jackson down the right and from a tight angle his shot to the near post looked easy for the Bournemouth loan goalkeeper only for the ball to wriggle through his grasp and over the line.

Stanley goalkeeper Aaron Chapman had been on light duties until this point but earned his money as Jack Lester’s side improved in the final third.

One effort from Kay was pushed round the post for a corner before an excellent double save denied sub Jack McCourt and Hines, though the latter had been flagged offside.

Just when it seemed Stanley had settled for 3-0 they were presented with a fourth as substitute Mekhi McLeod’s shot was spilled by Ramsdale to Billy Kee who only had to step round him and slot home from a couple of yards to make it four.

In stoppage time it looked like McLeod would grab his first League Two goal to cap the day off when he raced in behind the visiting defence and into the box only to be left disappointed as full back Drew Talbot raced across to make a remarkable block.

The Reds are now up to fourth in the table, just a point behind third place Coventry City in a very congested top half of League Two where three points separate third and tenth.