Hartlepool coasted home in the end, but they had to battle to get on top against a Chesterfield side that offered little but effort.
The victory keeps the home team's play-off hopes alive, and at times when they used their pace to attack instead of a long ball over the top, they looked good enough to join the pacesetters before the season ends.
Chesterfield, though, were well beaten. Their hard work was not enough once Pools got the goal in their sights and the Spireites were always second best.
United were well on top in the opening quarter, but then Chesterfield managed to get to grips with the game and the home team were kept quiet up to half-time.
Hartlepool's Joel Porter blazed over the bar in the first minute and Chris Shuker twice missed the target before the home team got their best chance on 20 minutes.
Shuker, on loan from Manchester City, was sent through by Gavin Strachan, but Chesterfield keeper Carl Muggleton made a brilliant finger-tip save to push the ball around his right-hand post.
That marked a change in the game and Hartlepool lost their grip, as Chesterfield worked hard to close them down.
But once the home team got their noses in front after 52 minutes, it was all over.
Pool had just lost Strachan, hit by injury on his return from a lay-off, but sub Matty Robson played a major part in the goal as he combined well with the lively Porter on the left.
The ball broke to the far side of the six-yard box and the unmarked Eifion Williams was there to tap in his 12th of the season.
And it was Williams who made the second on 71 minutes, escaping on the right and picking his spot with a perfect cross for Mark Tinkler to head a simple close-range goal.
From then on it was total one-way traffic and only Muggleton, on loan at Hartlepool early in his career, who kept the score down with some impressive saves.