Gorleston were hit by a sucker punch late in a game they should have sewn up by half-time.
The Greens were without Ryan Fuller and David Shade of this FA Cup extra preliminary round tie. Jack Tipple and Jordan Stanton started.
A corner in the third minute saw Aarron Taylor stoop to head but his effort was cleared off the line.
It was a bright start from the visitors and they took the lead on 17 minutes when a long ball picked out Joel Watts who beat his marker and hit a lovely dipping effort from 25 yards over the keeper.
On the half hour mark Watts almost made it two but his low shot from the edge of the box struck the post.
Ross Gilfedder should have made it two three minutes later when he got through one-on-one but the keeper got down quickly to save. Jack Tipple then had an effort blocked and Jordan Stanton’s follow- up was saved, with the Greens well on top.
The hosts then came into the game, creating several chances, but the Greens held firm and began the second half well. Jordan Stanton won the ball back deep in opposition territory finding Watts, whose shot was saved while Gilfedder held off his marker but shot straight at the keeper.
The Greens’ fantastic travelling support were beginning to wonder if the missed chances would come back to haunt them and that proved the case with eight minutes left.
A Hullbridge corner was shot goalwards and blocked on the line by Tipple, apparentl with his shoulder The hosts crossed the ball back in and, as players went for the header, the referee blew and pointed to the spot.
He had decided that Tipple had handled and to compound Gorleston’s misery he then brandished a red card and Adebola Sotoyinbo converted the kick.
Undoubtedly, that decision changed the game. From being as comfortable as they could be at only one up the Greens were now under the cosh and Hullbridge had their tails up.
A minute from time a low cross found Nathan Scarborough unmarked in the middle but he blazed over. Another effort then rattled the underside of the Greens bar before the sucker punch was delivered two minutes into injury time. Another low ball into the area found Scarborough close in and this time he turned it into the net.
Gorleston: Parkin, Tipple, Goreham, Hannant, Yusuff, Taylor, Carinhas, Cantwell, Gilfedder (Tabakovic 67), Watts, Stanton.
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