In a dramatic conclusion to the first half, Switzerland international Valon Behrami fired the Premier League side into a 44th-minute lead, and they were then gifted a second in injury time by Mason's error.

The official pointed to the spot after defender Michael Nelson had handled Carlton Cole's flick-on, although the incident clearly took place outside the penalty area.

Mark Noble calmly converted from 12 yards as the bulk of a crowd of 6,849 at Victoria Park made their feelings abundantly clear.

From then on, the Hammers never looked like letting their hosts back into the game, and dreams of a first ever trip to the fifth round in their centenary year evaporated for Chris Turner's men.

For West Ham boss Gianfranco Zola, who won the FA Cup twice as a Chelsea player, the win extended his side's unbeaten run to six games and suggested there is life after Craig Bellamy at Upton Park.

Pools went into the game having knocked Stoke out of the competition in the last round and West Brom out of the Carling Cup earlier in the season, and with high hopes of adding a third top-flight scalp.

For 44 minutes, director of sport Turner will have been delighted with what he saw as they took the game to the Hammers and on more than one occasion threatened to take the lead.

Indeed, had skipper Scott Parker not been as alert in his role on the line, Michael Mackay's header from a Matty Robson corner might have crept inside the post.

Winger Andy Monkhouse, playing on the right instead of his more accustomed position on the left, twice cut inside to fire off target as he and fellow wide man Robson prospered to provide strikers Joel Porter and Mackay with some decent service.

The Hammers struggled to create anything of note, and their frustration was summed up six minutes before the break when Cole lunged in at goalkeeper Arran Lee-Barrett to spark a melee which resulted in yellow cards for him and full-back Herita Ilunga.

However, his side finally made their mark as time ran down and took the lead with 44 minutes gone after putting together a fluent move.

Behrami started the attack and eventually turned up on the end of it to fire home a left-foot shot after Jack Collison had made space for him inside the box.

But if that was hard luck on the League One side, their fortunes were to take a further turn for the worse in injury time.

There was little doubt that Nelson handled Cole's flick-on, but despite the offence clearly taking place a yard outside the box, referee Mason pointed to the spot.

Noble needed no second invitation to blast the penalty past Lee-Barrett and rub salt into Hartlepool wounds.

Pools returned knowing their hopes were forlorn unless they swiftly reduced the deficit, but the Hammers might have killed off the tie within three minutes of the restart.

Lee-Barrett gratefully conceded a corner at his near post after Behrami had been allowed to run on to a loose ball inside the penalty area and cross, and James Collins might have done better with his header from the resulting corner.

The Londoners were coping comfortably as 'Pools struggled to regain their momentum.

However, the result would have been in doubt once again with 62 minutes gone had it not been for Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green.

Midfielder Gary Liddle rose to meet Robson's driven cross from the left and powered a header towards goal, but Green threw out a hand to deflect his effort away.

The near-miss seemed to revive the home side and they once again started to dominate proceedings, although too often they were forced to go for goal from distance, to little real effect.

But Cole should really have cemented the win with 16 minutes remaining when he was played in by David di Michele.

He tried to slide his shot past Lee-Barrett, but the goalkeeper got a touch to deflect it on to the post, much to the delight of Cole's detractors behind the goal.

The home side battled valiantly to the whistle, but even the introduction of David Foley, the hero of the victory over Stoke, could not release the Hammers' stranglehold.