Notts were sluggish from the start whereas the visitors, playing at a high tempo, stroked the ball around with menace and it seemed only a matter of time before they scored.
They duly took the lead in the eighth minute with a rather scrambled affair. After winning the game's first corner there was a terrific melee before Andy Monkhouse managed to stab the ball over the line.
Far from acting as a wake-up call to Notts, it was Hartlepool who continued to stroke the ball about as they really stretched a hard-pressed County defence.
Yet Pools were distinctly fortunate not to concede an own goal on 26 minutes. Michael Nelson's header came back off the foot of the post and was scrambled to safety.
But United were soon pressing forward again and Eifion Williams missed a great chance to double their lead just before the break when his shot drifted past Kevin Pilkington's right-hand post.
Having been booed off by their fans at half-time, Notts exhibited a little more urgency in the second half but found the visitors defence well-marshalled around the towering figures of Nelson and Ben Clark.
Jason Lee got few opportunities to get the better of them and his frustration showed when he was cautioned - a tenth booking which will lead to him missing two games.
Notts continued to disappoint and had Pilkington to thank for the game's outstanding save 11 minutes from time.
Pools substitute David Foley whipped past Michael Edwards - County's best defender - only for Pilkington to make an instinctive save when a second goal seemed to be on the cards.
The Notts fans again booed the team off at the final whistle and the players were kept in the dressing room for 25 minutes by manager Steve Thompson for a harshly-worded inquest.