Striker Zebroski had an unhappy six month spell at Whaddon Road two years ago, but was all smiles after netting his seventh goal of the season in the eleventh minute.
Midfielder Adam Chapman laid the ball off to the unmarked Zebroski in a central position just outside the box and he drilled a well placed low shot past helpless keeper Trevor Carson.
County have now won five from their last six games as they edge closer to the automatic promotion places, but manager Justin Edinburgh said:
"We had to put our bodies on the line today.
"I thought we rode our luck slightly in the first half, but we were resilient in the second half and once we get in front we're hard to beat."
Cheltenham should have taken the lead in the third minute.
Striker Terry Gornell hit the inside of the post from twelve yards and as winger Omari Sterling-James dithered with the ball stuck under his feet inches from the line, keeper Jamie Stephens fell on it to snuff out the danger.
County responded one minute later, but former Robins hitman Shaun Jeffers curled his fourteen yard strike over the bar from the left side of the box.
Stephens pulled off two more great saves in the first half as Cheltenham pressed for an equaliser.
In the 20th minute Gornell shrugged off two defenders to dart into the area only to see the alert Stephens save his close range effort with his feet.
And six minutes before the break the keeper needed to beat away a stinging twenty yard drive from the nippy Sterling-James.
Ten minutes after the restart the Robins were fortunate not to go further behind.
Chapman saw a goal bound 22 yard drive deflected inches wide and central defender Ismail Yakubu had a header cleared off the line by midfielder Matt Richards.
On the hour both teams came close to scoring.
Zebroski had a dipping shot saved by Carson and Sterling-James raced past three defenders, but saw his effort fly narrowly wide of the upright.
In the 91st minute central defender Darren Jones sealed a man of the match performance by timing a last ditch tackle perfectly as striker Harry Williams ran in on goal.
Cheltenham boss Paul Buckle is still waiting for his first win six games after taking over from Mark Yates, but said:
"I'm absolutely gutted because I thought we were very good today.
"I'm thrilled with the players and their work rate. There were pluses all over the field.
"They're fifth and we're nineteenth, but there wasn't a gulf between the sides."
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