AITOR KARANKA has challenged Middlesbrough to cause another FA Cup upset against Arsenal on Sunday after watching his side go top of the Championship with a 2-1 win at bottom club Blackpool.

Spanish striker Kike scored an 88th minute winner in a frantic final ten minutes at Bloomfield Road.

Lee Clark’s side, who were unbeaten in five of their last six at home, frustrated the Teessiders and as the game entered the final ten minutes it seemed Boro would miss another chance to leap-frog Bournemouth and Derby at the top of the table.

Jonathan Woodgate, making his first start in five months, finally got the ball rolling when he headed in Grant Leadbitter’s corner in the 81st minute, but four minutes later Ben Gibson scored an own goal to draw the Tangerines level.

It was the first goal Boro had conceded on the road since the defeat at Ipswich on December 20, but with two minutes of normal time remaining Kike chipped in with his first goal since the start of December to send Boro top after Bournemouth and Derby drew 2-2 on the south coast.

Middlesbrough are now one point ahead of the Cherries and the Rams, while the gap to Ipswich in fourth is five points going into next Wednesday’s trip to Birmingham City.

Boro have the small matter of an FA Cup fifth round trip to play Arsenal at the Emirates before then and having already beaten Liverpool and Manchester City in cup competitions this season, Karanka says his side will go to north London full of confidence after claiming the outright lead in the race for promotion to the Premier League.

“We are very happy, but we have a long way to go until the end,” said the Spaniard, who revealed George Friend was missing through illness.

“Anything can happen and we will go there in the same way we did to Man City and Liverpool.

“Arsenal are another Champions League team with many great players but we will go there thinking we can win. Man City was a surprise and Liverpool was a surprise but it would not be a surprise to see us win at Arsenal.”

While Karanka was delighted to see his side claim a vital win last night, the Boro boss wasn’t quite so complimentary about the Bloomfield Road pitch.

The head coach revealed his concern at losing players to injury because of the poor surface, but despite seeing Daniel Ayala limp off Karanka admitted the result was the best day of his reign to date.

“In Spain we say that that you can win any match if you can win on pitches like this one.

“For me it could be one of my best days here because it was very important to win this game. It is unbelievable.

“We played on a pitch that is impossible to pay on and what I think is a lack of respect for everyone that pays for a ticket to come here and watch.

“I am putting Ayala’s injury down to the pitch. It is not just Dani. All of them are having pains in their backs and their legs. I can’t understand a league like the Championship, it is amazing that there is a pitch like this and it is difficult for me to understand why teams have to play on it.

“I said before the game I wasn’t going to use the pitch as an excuse, but I was concerned about the injuries and two players got injured.”