Josh Sargent’s late strike sends the Canaries into second place in the Championship

The Roker End was raucous, febrile and agitated. ‘Don’t worry about a thing, because every little thing is gonna be all right,’ they sang, a rendition of Bob Marley.

They remain optimistic on Wearside but, with a manager shockingly walking out on them 24 hours before a crunch match, Sunderland fans were rightly wound up.

Alex Neil, heralded a ‘saviour’ for leading them out of League One after four seasons down there, made a snap decision to join Stoke and left Sunderland managerless.

So the fact they hosted promotion favourites Norwich felt somewhat of an afterthought, with anger directed at the directors for letting Neil go so easily.

But despite ultimately losing, Sunderland players and fans can be proud of their efforts here. Josh Sargent’s second-half goal settled a match that, nine times out of 10, would have been won by the Black Cats.

Led by Martin Canning – with Neil watching his soon-to-be Stoke side at Blackburn – Sunderland had a plethora of decent chances and were denied by the crossbar, post and a string of heroic blocks by defender Grant Hanley.

One wondered if the off-the-pitch drama might have suited Norwich but, for 75 minutes, it felt anything but. The Black Cats came out with all guns blazing, and played as if they had a point to prove. After all, a football club is much more than one bloke.

Saying that, though, what a seismic three points this was for Dean Smith’s Canaries. They had a tricky start to the season and, while performances have not been at the best level, winning at tricky away grounds like this is exactly what the best teams do.

Ellis Simms and Lynden Gooch both had headers which could not be turned goalwards for Sunderland, while the home team peppered Norwich with venomous set-pieces.

They looked hungry and kept pushing for goals, only to be denied three times by last-ditch blocks by Hanley, two in the first half and one shortly after the break.

The third of those was the closest Sunderland came, as Ross Stewart rattled the crossbar and, with Tim Krul still grounded, Alex Pritchard’s rebound was heroically blocked by Hanley.

As this game ticked on, Sunderland fans probably conceded that it might not be their day. Everton loanee Ellis Simms’ header hit the post, as they continued to miss decent chances.

At the other end, Norwich carved out a few decent counter-attacks. Josh Sargent probably should have directed a low cross goalwards in the first half but couldn’t sort his feet out.

But, revitalised as a central forward rather than shoehorned on the right wing, Sargent pushed for his goal and got it on 76 minutes.

Aaron Ramsey burst into space on the left wing and squared for the American to tap home into an empty net at the back post.

It’s not all gloom for Sunderland fans, whose new signing Edouard Michut was sat in the stands ahead of his proposed move from Paris Saint-Germain.

Don’t worry about a thing.