Gornal’s top scorer Marvin Nisbett popped up with the winner to help Ian Rowe’s men through a tough Midweek Floodlit Cup tie against Cadbury.
The home side almost took the lead on three minutes when a stinging long-range shot by Andy Dicken was parried by Shaun Hayes and the cross-shot by Kristian Green on the rebound turned wide by Stuart Cooke.
On 16 minutes Stuart Butcher fashioned himself an opening in the middle of the park only to screw his shot wide of James Pemberton’s goal.
The deadlock was broken on 22 minutes when a Ricky Nicholls long range freekick ricocheted off Hayes before double ricocheting off the advancing Kristian Green into the net.
The home side dominated the remainder of the half as the driving rain made play awkward with Ricky Nicholls and Pete Wood going close before a Nicholls free kick in stoppage time was cleared off the line by Deerring.
As the second half started, Gornal wasted two chances to kill the game with first Ravi Sangha and then Kristian Green both rounding Hayes only to fluff their shots within two minutes of each other.
Gornal’s  profligate attitude was punished just two minutes later when a free kick into the box found Cadbury skipper Daniel Pilgrim who headed past Pemberton for the equaliser.
On 57 minutes Cadbury almost grabbed the lead when Elliot Smith’s marauding run down the left found the dangerous Cordell Jones whose shot across goal narrowly missed the far post.
Gornal regained the lead on the hour when Green superbly worked himself into the area and fired home from 20 yards.
Rowe rang the changes on 66 minutes for the home side, throwing Lee Wherton, Nisbett and Matt Martin into the mix in place of Matt Weyman, Gurd Wilkhoo and Ricky Nicholls.
But the visitors grabbed an equaliser on 70 minutes when a rare Connor Gater mistake gifted Jones the chance his workrate deserved and his lob from 20 yards beat Pemberton.
With the game heading towards stalemate, Nisbett popped up with his 11th of the season after weaving his way into a shooting position from a wing-position and driving a low shot past Hayes.
In the dying seconds, Sangha, who had led the line impressively all evening, once again took the ball past Hayes after being put through only to put his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Gornal return to league action on Saturday with the visit of seventh placed Goodrich (ko 3pm).

Gornal: James Pemberton; Richard Young; Pete Wood; Connor Gater (Captain); Mike Perks; Kristian Greeen; Andy Dicken; Gurdeep Wilkhoo (Lee Wherton, 66); Ricky Nicholls (Matt Martin, 66); Ravi Sangha; Matt Weyman (Marvin Nisbett, 66).
Cadbury: Shaun Hayes; Craig Donnelly; Stuart Cooke; James Perry; Luke Crockett; Richard Deerring; Elliot Smith (Simon Harris, 90); Daniel Pilgrim (Captain); Stuart Butcher; Cordell Jones; Adrian Parkes (Rikki Reid, 87).