Connor Ingram gave the away side the lead after 6 minutes when got the wrong side of defender Sam Goode to connect with a cross from the right side of the penalty area, Ingram's 8 yard shot being deflected by Goode's challenge and finding a way past goalkeeper Mitchell Ware.
Ingram then turned provider for Gorleston's other two goals, first with his quick feet allowing him to get to the bye line just to the right of the six yard box on 28 minutes to cut the ball back for Dan Pinheiro to side foot the ball home from 12 yards out.
The third Gorleston goal came on 39 minutes when a Gorleston challenge just inside the Rovers half fell well for the away side as it went into the path of Ingram, who quickly turned and ran forward on to it, controlled it, had a shot blocked and then side footed the ball left for Peter Lambert to stroke the ball low and into the net.
Haverhill changed formation in the second half following a double substitution, Ben Bradley and Ben Tait coming on, and the game swung decidedly into their side's favour.
Persistent play ended up with them pulling a goal back in the 64th minute, Marc Abbott's corner from the left being flicked on at the front past by Mark Lovell and Sam Goode placed a shot through a crowd of players and 'keeper Peter Murphy with a couple of deflections along the way.
Although Gorleston started to defend deeper as Haverhill continued the pressure on their goal they did still have eyes on the home goal, Joel Watts' toe poke across goal hitting the foot of the far right post with 72 minutes gone.
The outside changes of a draw became ever closer a minute into injury time when Haverhill pulled another goal back from the penalty spot, Bradley being inexplicably tripped on the right side of the area by Luke Goreham and Abbott crashed the spot kick into the top corner.
What felt impossible before the second half became possible three minutes into added time when an equaliser for the hosts was scored, Tait laying the ball out to Abbott right of goal and 25 yards out; the latter's excellent cross was headed on to the underside of the bar by Graeme Turner and, with a herd of bodies making their way towards the ball, Goode was there first with a header on the run that sent the net bulging the crowd into rapture.
ROVERS : Ware, Carroll, Fox, Noble (Halls, 80), Holmes (Tait, 46), Goode, Abbott, Yallop, Lovell, Turner, Haines (Bradley, 46). Subs not used – Judge, Shulver.
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Steven Esdale
# | Team | Pl | Pts |
10. | Newmarket Town | 38 | 51 |
11. | Norwich United | 38 | 50 |
12. | Haverhill Rovers | 38 | 49 |
13. | Whitton United | 38 | 44 |
14. | Thetford Town | 38 | 43 |
15. | Gorleston | 38 | 41 |
16. | Hadleigh United | 38 | 40 |