Ricci Butler made four changes from the Melford game. George Yusuff, Elliott Hannant, Keegan Middleton and Connor Ingram all dropped to the bench. Peter Oldham and Joel Watts returned and there were starts for Eddie and Jacob Short.
A good first half of football from both teams could have gone either way but it was the Greens who went into the break ahead following a goal in the ninth minute.
A good clearance from Eddie Short looked like it would be headed clear by the defender but he misjudged the bounce allowing Kyle Baker to get in behind him and head it over the advancing keeper into the empty net.
Seven minutes later Baker beat the offside trap but couldn't collect the ball when clean through and soon after he got his head to a Jack Garrod cross but couldn't keep it down.
Johnny Conroy got clear in the Gorleston box after 29 minutes but the Gorleston defence got a block in to give Thetford their first corner then Gorleston gained their first corner four minutes later when Joel Watts had a shot deflect narrowly wide.
Pressure from the corner saw a Watts cross from the byline bravely grabbed by Thetford keeper Kingsley Barnes off the toe of Jacob Short.
The Thetford keeper then twice denied Watts before finding himself in trouble with the referee in the 38th minute.
Garrod broke away from the defender and Barnes raced out of his box, bringing Garrod down just outside the area as he went around the keeper. With the ball going away from goal a yellow card was shown to the keeper and the free kick came to nothing.
Thetford had their best chances of the half in the final five minutes. Firstly Emmanuel Machaya's thunderous shot was headed off the line by Harley Clements, although Clements probably didn't know too much about it, then Taurean Molloy was equal to a Conroy effort.
The visitors began the second half well.
Molloy saved an Elliot Smith header before the Gorleston keeper was pole-axed by Ryan Sanders from a corner with the attacker escaping a card and it was Gorleston who extended their lead in the 58th minute.
Garrod cut in from the right wing into the box where he was brought down. With the regular penalty takers on the bench, it was Joel Watts who took responsibility for the spot kick and duly slotted it past Barnes for his 13th goal of the season.
Thetford had brought on player manager Danny White and he had a good opportunity in the 65th minute but his shot shaved the outside of Molloys post.
The game was effectively sealed in the 68th minute.
A free kick into the box bounced up and struck a defender on his arm. The arm was by his side but away from his body and the referee had little option but to award a second penalty.
Connor Ingram, who had been on the field less than a minute, stepped up and his first touch was to convert the penalty and score his 25th goal of the season and 6th successful penalty.
A nice Thetford move in the 74th minute saw Conroy hit a volley on the run over the bar before Garrod broke fast from a Thetford corner a minute later but was denied by Barnes.
With a three goal lead, the Greens were able to seat deep and allow Thetford some pressure but the visitors were unable to find a way through and Molloy was able to keep his 11th clean sheet of the season.
Match sponsor was Vice Chairman Mick Payne and he awarded the Batemans man of the match to Kyle Ingram.
Gorleston: Taurean Molloy, Harley Clements (c), Kyle Ingram, Eddie Short, Jacob Short, Aaron Taylor, Luke Goreham, Peter Oldham (Keegan Middleton 77), Jack Garrod, Kyle Baker (Connor Ingram 67), Joel Watts (George Yusuff 85)
Booking: K Ingram 86
Goals: Baker 9; Watts (p) 58; C Ingram (p) 68
Thetford Town: Kingsley Barnes, Sam Bond (c), Alex McIntosh (Bradley Sandell 77), Ross Bailey, Elliot Smith, Luke Bailey (Ryan Sanders 55), Johnny Conroy, Cameron King, Ryan Fuller, Cruise Nyadtaya, Emmanuel Machaya (Danny White 55)
Booking: Barnes 39
Attendance: 76
Ref: Richard Own
Stat Attack | ||
Gorleston | Thetford | |
3 | Goals | 0 |
3 | Other efforts on target | 5 |
3 | Other efforts off target | 3 |
0 | Other efforts against woodwork | 0 |
2 | Shots blocked | 0 |
2 | Corners for | 5 |
6 | Caught offside | 1 |
12 | Free kicks for | 12 |
1 | Yellow cards | 1 |
0 | Red cards | 0 |
# | Team | Pl | Pts |
1. | Mildenhall Town | 40 | 99 |
2. | Felixstowe & Walton United | 40 | 90 |
3. | Newmarket Town | 40 | 84 |
4. | Gorleston | 40 | 78 |
5. | Great Yarmouth Town | 40 | 68 |
6. | Stanway Rovers | 40 | 66 |
7. | Thetford Town | 40 | 65 |