HAVING thrown down the gauntlet in the wake of last month’s dispiriting home defeat to Bristol City, Middlesbrough head coach Aitor Karanka has been delighted with his players’ response in their last four Championship matches.

Saturday’s 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest made it 12 points out of 12 since Bristol City’s Joe Bryan condemned Boro to a surprise home defeat, a sequence that has lifted Karanka’s side to second in the table.

Off the field, the fall-out from Albert Adomah’s Riverside bust-up has been handled superbly, with Karanka exerting his authority before successfully reintegrating the winger back into the squad.

On the pitch, Boro continue to go from strength to strength, with Saturday’s display having combined some eye-catching attacking flair with some equally impressive defensive resilience.

“It is another test they have passed,” said Karanka. “After our game against Bristol, we had some bad days and some people had some doubts about the team.

“But since then, we have won the last four in the league. We just have to keep going now – we have an amazing squad and all of them know they can play well in every moment. We just have to keep moving forward.”

Karanka did not feel his side were at their best against Forest, with Dimi Konstantopoulos’ second-half penalty save from Henri Lansbury proving crucial in the final reckoning.

In March, a similar game at the City Ground ended with Boro suffering a 2-1 defeat, and Karanka claims it is the added experience in his new-look squad that is enabling them to post improved results this season.

“In the last two games at home, I said we won because we have a lot of quality and better players this season,” he said. “In this game, we won because we have more experience and a lot of experienced players on the pitch.

“The main thing, and the best thing for us, was the score. I didn’t think we played in the way that we like to play, but it was a difficult game. It was the third game in a week so I can understand that the players were a little bit tired.”

The game capped an especially notable week for match-winner Daniel Ayala, whose partner gave birth to the pair’s first son, Arhlo, last Sunday.

The defender admits he has been suffering a few sleepless nights, but he was alert enough to steal into the six-yard box to head home the winner after Kelvin Wilson had miscued an attempted headed clearance from Adam Clayton’s cross.

“It has been a good week for him,” said Karanka. “He also told Dimi that Lansbury would put his penalty straight down the middle so everything was good for him.

“He is an important player for us, and he knows that every day he is improving and growing up. He has to keep doing that, and he has to make sure he is always concentrating because it is easy to make mistakes and give things away.

“I am really pleased with him, but I am really pleased with all of them because their attitude has been excellent. I might not have been really pleased with this performance, but I know how difficult it was to win the game.”