Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka has urged his players to ignore the Championship table despite them usurping Brighton & Hove Albion at the summit tonight.

A 54th-minute strike from Emilio Nsue was enough to hand Boro all three points against Burnley at the Riverside, allowing them to rise to the top of the standings after Brighton could only manage a draw at Queens Park Rangers.

"Forget the table, the main thing is the attitude and commitment of the players and that we showed we are a good team," Karanka told the club's official website afterwards.

"The game was very different to Saturday (a goalless draw with Birmingham City). I didn't like the first half. I said we needed to play higher and press, and we did in the second half."

Of goalscoring hero Nsue, Karanka added: "He is the kind of player who you know can play in a lot of positions. He is a good player and I was pleased for him, but he couldn't have scored if it wasn't for his teammates."

Middlesbrough next travel to fellow title contenders Brighton for a crunch clash in Saturday's early kickoff.