Ryan East gave Dale an early lead, but the visitors scored twice in 11 minutes to go ahead.
Dan Moss equalised before the break for Jimmy McNulty’s men, who also saw a Mani Dieseruvwe penalty hit the crossbar.
Dale threw everything at Tamworth in the second period and were eventually rewarded with a typically cool finish from Henderson in the 81st minute that secured all three points.
Jimmy McNulty made one change to the side that started at Southend United in midweek, with Tyler Smith replacing Aidan Barlow. New signing Luke Hannant took a spot on the substitutes’ bench.
Dale began in the ascendancy, with Tarryn Allarakhia heading a deep ball back across goal that was claimed by Tamworth stopper Jas Singh, before the Tanzanian and Mani Dieseruvwe had shots blocked.
East netted his sixth goal of the season in the 13th minute to give Dale the lead, keeping his composure when collecting a Dieseruvwe knockdown to take a touch and place home from the edge of the six-yard box.
The goalscorer saw another effort held by Singh, as did Devante Rodney, whilst Dieseruvwe fired wide after a superb turn.
However, with Tamworth’s first foray forward, they equalised, as Dan Creaney glanced a header home from a central position.
The visitors netted a second just 11 minutes later, when Oliver Lynch latched on to a ball behind the Dale defence and curled one past the onrushing Oliver Whatmuff.
That lead lasted less than five minutes, though, as Moss restored parity. Dale worked the play down the right, leading to Allarakhia crossing to the back post, where Moss flew in to bravely send a diving header home. He collided with the upright in the process, but was fine to continue after some treatment.
Stefan Mols and Dieseruvwe exchanged shots over the bar from tight angles before the latter had a golden opportunity to put Dale back ahead, after Casey Pettit was fouled inside the area.
However, Dale’s leading goalscorer crashed a penalty off the underside of the crossbar, as the game entered the break level.
McNulty’s men started the second period as they had the first, with Kyron Gordon seeing a shot saved, before Rodney, Smith and Dieseruvwe all sent efforts off target.
East came within a whisker of his second, when his strike from the edge of the area hit the inside of the post and bounced clear.
At the other end, Oliver Whatmuff had to be on hand twice in the space of three minutes, denying Tamworth efforts from corner kicks, whilst Mols curled an effort just inches wide of the Dale stopper’s right post.
From then on, Dale launched wave after wave of attack. Rodney trickled a shot wide after good work to get into the area, before substitute Henderson sent a header wide and saw another collected by Singh.
However, our all-time leading goalscorer showed his class as the game entered the final ten minutes to put Dale ahead. Gordon’s cross came to the back post area, where Henderson brought it down on his chest and showed incredible composure to slot home into the far corner.
The visitors piled the pressure on Dale late on, with substitute Michael Reindorf hitting the crossbar and substitute Tom Tonks sending a number of signature long throws into the area, but Whatmuff and Dale defence held firm.
The results keeps Dale two points clear at the top of the Enterprsise National League, with seven games remaining.
Dale XI | Whatmuff, Gordon, East (90+1’ Francis), Ebanks-Landell ©, Allarakhia (73’ Hannant), Dieseruvwe, Rodney (73’ Henderson), Pettit, Moss, Perry, Smith (63’ Barlow).
Unused subs | Tutonda, McBride, Hosannah.
Scorers | 12’ East, 37’ Moss, 81’ Henderson.
Tamworth XI | Singh, Digie, Milnes © (70’ Riley), Fairlamb, Rye, Mols (82’ Reindorf), Cullinane-Liburd, Acquaye (70’ McGlinchey), Lynch, Creaney, Kurtaran (89’ Tonks).
Unused subs | Rachel, Curley, Cockerill-Mollett.
Scorers | 22’ Creaney, 33’ Lynch.
Attendance | 3,122 (94 away).
