Queen's Park Rangers put on a powerful show of finishing sending their promotion rivals Hartlepool reeling with an impressive 4-1 away win at Victoria Park.
Two quick-fire goals in the early stages of the second half put Rangers on the right road, and two more later on made sure.
Hartlepool, though, deserved their late consolation for refusing to give up even when the odds were heavily stacked against them.
Powerful Rangers had the edge in a goalless first half thanks to their towering defence.
But the best chance went Hartlepool's way on the half-hour when top scorer Eifion Williams was clean through after a great ball from Hugh Roberston only for on-loan keeper Lee Camp to race off his line to make a brave save at his feet.
At the other end, Martin Rowlands sent a free-kick just off target and lashed another shot across the face of goal, while Kevin Gallen sent his shot straight at home keeper Jim Provett as QPR threatened.
But the visitors did more than just threaten in the second half, they simply killed off the home side.
On 47 minutes Paul Furlong lashed in an angled shot from out on the right after a one-two with strike partner Kevin Gallen, and four minutes later Gallen struck himself after a left-wing cross was missed by everybody in the middle.
Hartlepool's effort to come back were always kept under control by powerful defender Craig Carlisle, and that set up Rangers to deliver the killer blows on 73 and 75 minutes.
First Furlong collected a long ball from the back and beat his man before again scoring from an angle, then Gallen's shot was saved by Provett and Rowlands was there to tap the rebound into a gaping net.
Hartlepool's consolation arrived three minutes from the end when on-loan keeper Lee Camp made two good saves as shots rained in on him, but Joel Porter lashed the second rebound into the roof of the net.