It was the sort of imperiously curling, technically demanding, goal Jude Bellingham would have treasured scoring for Real Madrid or England but, on a windy Wearside afternoon, the executioner was his younger brother.

Aged just 19, Jobe Bellingham is proving a high calibre component of Sunderland’s midfield and their promotion push. His winner kept them fourth in the Championship, but one crucial defensive block on the edge of his area arguably proved almost equally important.

Related: Championship roundup: Sheffield United extend run as top four all win

Not that overcoming a mid-table Norwich, who had José Córdoba sent off moments before Bellingham’s goal, was exactly straightforward in an always edgy game, punctuated by 10 yellow cards and all sorts of on-pitch feuds.

At one point the Sunderland manager, Régis Le Bris, and the Norwich attacker Borja Sainz squared up on the touchline, while the visiting goalkeeper, Angus Gunn, had an altercation with his own defender Shane Duffy over the taking of a free-kick.

“It was quite a crazy afternoon and a difficult challenge but I like the character of my team,” said Le Bris. “It was a strange game; at certain times we had periods of lucidity and then we made mistakes.”

Le Bris’s family had flown in from France to spend the festive season in north East England, allowing his son and daughter to watch a live match at the Stadium of Light for the first time.

Sunderland have still to lose a second-tier match here this season and before kick-off Bellingham talked about “building a fortress on Wearside”.

Wrexham missed the chance to return to the top two in League One as they were stunned by a late equaliser at managerless Bristol Rovers.

The Welsh side took the lead through Elliot Lee's 18th-minute strike and went close to a second when James McClean hit a post. Defending a slender lead, Wrexham were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw after substitute Promise Omochere headed an 86th-minute leveller for Rovers, who parted company with manager Matt Taylor this week.

Lincoln moved to sixth with a 2-0 victory over playoff rivals Reading, who had Louie Holzman sent off. Barnsley remained outside the top six after crashing to a 4-0 defeat at home to Leyton Orient. Jamie Donley set Orient on their way after just six minutes before Omar Beckles, Charlie Kelman and Sonny Perkins wrapped up a comfortable win.

Charlton also claimed a big win as they thrashed Northampton 5-0 at Sixfields. Greg Docherty scored twice while Tyreece Campbell, Miles Leaburn and Danny Hylton also struck. Gary Bowyer suffered defeat in his first match as Burton boss as Exeter came from behind to win 2-1 at the Pirelli Stadium.

George Lloyd scored an 87th-minute equaliser as bottom side Shrewsbury completed a recovery from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 at Wigan while Deji Oshilaja's goal gave Mansfield a 1-0 win over Rotherham. Blackpool and Stevenage played out a goalless draw.

As a viciously capricious wind sent pieces of plastic swirling all over the pitch, Norwich initially threatened to blow that citadel down. They have not won for four games now, but they began brightly, frequently looking the superior side.

After a couple of fine saves from Anthony Patterson in the home goal, Sunderland had no answer to a well‑choreographed corner routine that concluded with Anis Ben Slimane connecting with a rebound and lashing the ball beyond Patterson from close range.

A week ago, Sunderland recovered from falling two goals behind at Swansea to secure a 3-2 victory. With the match 21 minutes old there was plenty of time for a similar fightback.

The equaliser duly arrived two minutes into the second half when Norwich could merely half-clear Luke O’Nien’s free-kick, allowing Eliezer Mayenda to direct a lofted ball back in to the box for Dan Ballard to head, powerfully, past Gunn.

Intelligent and incisive, Sunderland looked almost a different team to their more tentative first-half incarnation, but still very nearly come undone as Ante Crnac sent a shot swerving narrowly wide at the end of a Norwich counterattack.

In an attempt to reassert the new power balance, Wilson Isidor missed a wonderful chance for Sunderland after finding himself clean through but Córdoba was then sent off after collecting a second yellow card for a poor challenge on Chris Mepham.

The only surprise was that a red card took so long to materialise in an increasingly feisty encounter. One that rather made a mockery of the enduring camaraderie established between Sunderland and Norwich fans after the latter’s side won the 1985 League Cup final.

Walsall moved six points clear at the top of League Two as goals in each half from Nathan Lowe and Albert Adomah gave them a 2-0 win at Harrogate, who had Josh March sent off.

Second-placed Port Vale lost ground as they were unexpectedly held to a goalless draw at home to bottom side Carlisle. Ian Holloway tasted victory in the 1,000th match of his managerial career - and for only the second time as Swindon boss - as his side overcame one of his former clubs, Grimsby, 3-1.

Bryn Morris and Bobby Kamwa both scored hat-tricks as Newport stunned promotion hopefuls MK Dons 6-3 at Rodney Parade.

Doncaster claimed their first home win since October as they overcame 10-man Tranmere 3-1.

Morecambe remain rooted to the bottom after a 2-0 home loss to Bromley, who scored through Omar Sowunmi and a Michael Cheek penalty.

Alassana Jatta scored two in Notts County's 3-0 home win over Bradford while Chesterfield edged AFC Wimbledon 1-0. Barrow beat Fleetwood 2-0 to claim their first win in 10 games and Salford won 2-0 at Accrington.

By way of confirming that Sunderland were ascendant, the fall out from the free-kick that followed Córdoba’s dismissal prefaced Bellingham cutting back on to this right foot and unleashing a beautifully calibrated, awkwardly angled shot that flew into the far corner from a distinctly unpromising position.

Although Patterson did extremely well to tip a shot from the Norwich substitute Ashley Barnes on to a post, Sunderland had clearly heeded their manager’s half-time homily.

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“At half-time it was clear we needed to do better,” said Le Bris. “We were not happy but in the second half my players showed their character and quality.”

Those ingredients are likely to be needed in abundance on New Year’s Day when the Championship leaders, Sheffield United, visit.