Chesterfield 1 v 5 Hartlepool United: Spireites suffer third consecutive league defeat and slip into relegation zone after home thrashing
Two quick-fire goals from Gus Mafuta and Luke James had the away side in control on 27 minutes.
Peter Kioso's own goal gave Chesterfield a lifeline before half-time but Hartlepool added a third on 48 minutes through top scorer Gime Toure.
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Hide AdIt got worse for the Blues on 55 minutes when Mafuta got his second to wrap up the points and some Chesterfield fans headed for the exit.
Toure added a fifth with 20 minutes still to play to round off an embarrassing night for the Spireites which was their sixth defeat at the Proact already this season.
Town drop into National League relegation zone and have now conceded 11 goals in three matches.
There were boos at several points during the game from the home fans and chants of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' and 'this is embarrassing'.
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Hide AdJohn Sheridan made six changes for the second game running with goalkeeper Luke Coddington, Jonathan Smith, Sam Wedgbury, Joe Rowley, Tom Denton and Scott Boden replacing Shwan Jalal, David Buchanan, Jermaine McGlashan, Curtis Weston, Liam Mandeville and Mike Fondop.
There was no Josef Yarney due to an ongoing hamstring injury, while Weston was not involved in the squad and there was a home debut for on loan Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Liam Shaw.
There had been very few opportunities in the opening exchanges before Hartlepool took control on the 20-minute mark.
First, Mafuta was denied by a last-ditch block by Wedgbury, Luke James almost caught Coddington out with a lob on the angle, Josh Hawkes then tried his luck from 25-yards but Coddington was equal to it, and then the home stopper produced a stunning diving stop from Mafuta when he looked certain to score.
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Hide AdBut Mafuta did open the scoring on 23 minutes when he converted a cross from Kioso from inside the box.
And four minutes later the away side doubled their lead through James, who was outstanding.
The winger expertly controlled a through-ball by Hawkes, burst past Spireites captain Will Evans down the right wing and drove the ball across Coddington into the bottom corner.
The two quick-fire goals brought boos from some home fans and chants of "you're not fit to wear the shirt".
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Hide AdBoden's strike at goal on 33 minutes was met by ironic cheers from some in the home end who had been starved of any excitement.
The away side pressed for a third but it was Town who found the next right on half-time to give themselves am undeserved lifeline.
Denton headed Jay Sheridan's in-swinging cross from the right into the ground and and it was turned into his own net by Kioso.
But within three minutes of the re-start Gime Toure restored United's two-goal advantage.
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Hide AdHartlepool's top scorer raced onto ball down the right channel, cut inside and rifled the ball into the top corner with his left foot.
On 55 minutes Mafuta grabbed his second, assisted by Toure, to put the visitors out of sight and some Town fans headed for the exit.
With just over 20 minutes to go, Hartlepool got their fifth through Toure when he tapped home a low cross by James, who ran Chesterfield ragged all night.
There was 10 minutes added time because of a head injury to Kioso who was stretchered off and the away side had to play the remaining time with 10 men.
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Hide AdIt was an awful, awful night for Chesterfield and one which will leave a horrible taste in the mouth for Spireites fans.
Chesterfield (4-1-3-2): Coddington; Smith, Evans (c), Maguire, Sheridan; Wedgbury (Mandeville, 55); Rowley, Shaw, Gevaro; Denton (Fondop, 60), Boden. Subs: Jalal, Buchanan, McGlashan, Mandeville, Fondop.
Hartlepool United: Killip, Kioso, Kitching, Raynes, Kerr, Donaldson (c), Featherstone, Hawkes, Mafuta, Toure (Muir, 76), James (Kabamba, 69). Subs: Kabamba, Muir, Kennedy, Richardson, Cunningham.
Referee: Martin Woods
Attendance: 3,420 (252 away)