REDS manager John Coleman suffered the worst defeat of his managerial career but will not press the panic button yet.
Stanley slipped to their third defeat in four games and shipped eight against promotion-chasing Posh who overran the Reds on Tuesday night.
"I have had some good nights and some bad nights and times when I have felt worse than this," said Coleman after the rout.
"We didn't defend well and some of Peterborough's forward play was exceptional.
"But there will be no knee-jerk reaction. It gave me a good indication of where I need to strengthen my squad but this has been done over a season not just on one result.
"When we have been beaten heavily in the past we have bounced back in the next game and we have got to show character against Brentford on Saturday."
Stanley conceded an early goal when Craig Mackail Smith rounded Ian Dunbavin on 12 minutes.
Number two followed through tricky winger George Boyd on 27 minutes and he went on to complete his hat-trick on 33 and 76 minutes.
And one time Stanley target Aaron McLean showed Coleman what he was missing with a trio from him - on 39, 78 and 82 minutes before Mackail-Smith added his second at the death.
The Reds did threaten a revival as, despite being 4-0 down at the break, Paul Mullin tapped home his 12th of the season and Shaun Whalley bundled the ball over the line on the hour to make it 4-2.
£400,000 goalkeeper Joe Lewis then pulled off a superb save to keep out Roscoe Dsane and if he had scored and made it 4-3, Posh might have got nervy.
Instead they got the fifth and scored four in the last 12 minutes.
"We capitulated after Roscoe's chance as the fifth was a step to far," said Coleman. "We managed to hold them for 30 minutes and put them on the back foot but they have three players in Mackail Smith, Mclean and Boyd who cost the best part of £6-700,000 and there was a lot of good forward play by them."
