Hartlepool's class told as they waltzed into the second round of the FA Cup.
In fact, only some poor finishing and a string of good saves by Lincoln keeper Alan Marriott kept the score down to a respectable level.
It was even more one-sided than the final scoreline suggests and Lincoln were lucky to escape a real hammering.
The Lincoln defence was always up against it, and it got worse once the home team took the lead.
Hartlepool's speedy attack put Lincoln under pressure from the start, and the home team had missed a couple before two goals in four minutes midway through the first half put the home team in command.
Eifion Williams grabbed the first on 22 minutes, a neat angled finish after he ran in from wide following his quick throw from the right to Joel Porter.
On 26 minutes left-back Matty Robson grabbed a second with a curling shot from the edge of the area after a weak clearance from Lincoln, who were now looking really ragged at the back.
Robson was having a field day on the left, and he hit the post with another long-range shot on the half-hour and then fired another inches over the bar.
But City were always in danger at the back and they were punished again three minutes before the break when Adam Boyd, who had missed a real sitter minutes earlier, cut them wide open with a short pass and Porter lashed his shot into the top corner.
After the break Lincoln changed their system and looked a better team, but it was far too late to influence the way the game was going.
Richie Humphreys curled one shot inches off target and Tony Sweeney's effort was tipped over the bar by Marriott.
The game was only two minutes from the final whistle when City got in their first shot on target, but substitute Ollie Ryan's effort was well saved by Dimi Konstantopoulos.