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City lost by three first half goals, but in truth it could have been ten nil had Alan Marriott not made several crucial saves.
"I've said to the players it was a lesson. We stepped up a division and Hartlepool were the best side we've seen in a long, long while.
"I'm not going to make excuses - we were beaten by the better team and you have to accept that. You can't give teams like Hartlepool the amount of room we gave them in the first half and expect to be in the game."
The second half saw a more spirited City display, but the game didn't get any better as a spctacle as both teams approached the half like a training exercise.
"We improved in the second period, but maybe that was because they took their foot off the pedal. I'm never going to win the FA Cup, but I still wanted to go to Hartlepool and come away with something."
A potential away tie at Aldershot lay in wait for the Imps had they triumphed over a slick 'Pool.
The game has heaped fresh pressure on the City boss. Despite losing just once in ten league games City have bombed out of all three cup competitions. The manner of the defeat on Saturday is perhaps more alarming than the result itself. Keith has been lamblasted for his choice of tactics by his own fans, and the 3-2 win against Northampton could easily have been 5-0 to the Cobblers. Some sections of the fans see the FA Cup defeat as just another poor performance in a so far altogether disapointing season.