MANAGER Aitor Karanka was warned his Middlesbrough players to start listening or risk paying the price after a goal conceded within seconds of kick-off at Reading helped condemn them to defeat.

The Royals are building a reputation for being strong starters having scored twice in the opening 14 minutes in three of their previous four Championship encounters.

Karanka was keen for his troops not to suffer the same fate, yet Dimitrios Konstantopoulos was picking the ball out of his net after just 16 seconds when Danny Williams headed in.

And a late penalty from Nick Blackman saw Boro’s seven-match winning run come to an end.

Karanka said: “I am frustrated because I have told the players I don’t know how many times not to concede in the first minute.

“Two weeks ago Reading scored twice in the first ten minutes against Burnley and made themselves hard to beat because they are a very organised team.

“To concede in the first 20 seconds makes it very difficult. That changed everything because we tried to play in one way and we couldn’t.

“We have to learn and if anybody thought this season would be easy because people are saying we are the best team in the division they are wrong.

“Every game and every single team is difficult. Reading are one of the best teams in this division.

“I am very disappointed our winning run is over because I wanted to win eight, nine and ten games in a row but it is not possible in every game.”

Spanish striker Kike was selected to lead the Boro line in place of the in-form David Nugent. The summer signing from Leicester had scored three goals in his last four appearances, becoming an instant hit at the Riverside Stadium.

And though Karanka admitted the 30-year-old does have a hamstring problem, he envisages he will be fit to return against Fulham after the international break.

“David Nugent had a problem with his hamstring so I preferred not to take a risk because the league is very long and we could have lost him for three or four weeks,” added Karanka.

“He has two weeks now during the international break to get himself fit for the Fulham game.”