ALL good things have to come to an end but surely they do not usually do so in such brutal fashion.

They were well into the sixth minute of stoppage time at Ashton Gate and a new Football League record was within touching distance when all hell broke loose in the West Country.

Aitor Karanka’s defence was breached for the first time since Tom Huddlestone completed a 3-0 defeat at Hull City in November and bang went the chance to re-write a bit of history with a tenth consecutive clean sheet in the league.

A team with a reputation for being the stingiest in the land had been on course to break a record of shut-outs in the second tier of English football, which was established 111 years ago by Chelsea and equalled by Leeds in 1928.

Yes they had been under pressure in the closing stages of this contest against a rejuvenated side whose efforts belied their lowly status in the Championship able but dealing with pressure is something Karanka’s charges relish.

But then, Boro’s robot-like defenders showed they are human when they were undone in a stunning denouement as City defender Aden Flint escaped his marker to flick a Bobby Reid corner goalwards and Wes Burns was there to apply a finishing touch.

The drama unfolded right in front of the 1,463 Boro supporters who had converged on Bristol to see the Championship leaders secure a niche in the history books.

They had to look on as Ashton Gate turned into a sea of joy as City fans celebrated wildly with their players while the team in yellow slumped to the ground, crestfallen, while Karanka was left to rue a missed opportunity.

Not only had they allowed a chance to re-write history slip through their fingers but there was no time left and no way back for Karanka’s resilient men who have bounced back this season so admirably following their play-off final misery at Wembley last season.

They had lost for the first time since that humbling at Hull in November and a five-match winning streak in the League had been come to a standstill against a team who had not won since beating Huddersfield in mid-December.

That rotten run had left Bristol in the relegation zone and cost manager Steve Cotterill his job on Thursday afternoon but his former charges played as though their livelihoods were at stake, which admittedly they were, under interim boss John Pemberton.

It was hardly the best of preparations for the visit of the Championship pacesetters but the change of tone and change of formation proved a tonic for the only team to have won at the Riverside this season.

Pemberton knows a thing or two about frustrating opponents from his days with Leeds United and he put that to good effect by packing his midfield to deny the likes of Stewart Downing the time and space to dictate proceedings.

He also clearly identified full-backs George Friend and Emilio Nsue as potent attacking threats and gave wingers Burns and Joe Bryan the task of stopping them in their tracks, which they stuck to resolutely.

Boro struggled to get into their stride as an attacking entity but still created two decent chances.

They were left to rue Kike’s inability to convert Daniel Ayala’s delicious low cross into the goalmouth midway through the first half.

Former Robins hero Albert Adomah wasted another opportunity to put Boro in command following a defensive mix-up in the second half but he floated a lob over an otherwise empty net.

It was a lucky escape for the hosts who appeared to be running out steam as Boro finally took control of the game but they proved a redoubtable bunch and once they had got a second wind they came back at Boro in an absorbing finale.

Boro found themselves penned in their own penalty area as their opponents sensed a shock result could be on the cards.

There appeared to be no way out of defence as Karanka’s team dealt with a string of set-pieces which tested Dimi Konstantopoulos and his defenders to the limit.

Konstantopoulos had single-handedly kept Bristol at bay in the first half with a fine one-handed save to deny Burns after the academy product had broken Boro’s offside trap but after coming to his team-mates’ rescue he struggled in those closing stages with his goal under siege.

The veteran striker Aaron Wilbraham, all 37 years and 6ft 3in of him, had been thrown on late on as a substitute by Pemberton to wreak havoc and the plan worked as Konstantopoulos flapped at one set-piece that saw the ball bounce off the crossbar.

It was a lucky escape but only a temporary respite as more penalty box mayhem ensued following a corner and this time Burns was there to apply a finishing touch and have the final say to leave Boro down but not out.