RETURNING Blackburn Rovers midfielder Corry Evans admits the Championship must be a punter’s worst nightmare.

But he remains confident that those who have backed Rovers to go up this season can come up trumps.

Evans knows exactly what it takes to win promotion to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old was a key part of the Hull City squad that finished second behind Cardiff City two seasons ago.

He insists you have to treat each match, no matter the opposition, with the respect it deserves.

As he firmly believes the teams that don’t will come a cropper, such is the unpredictability of the coupon-busting Championship.

“It’s not a betting man’s league this Championship,” said Evans, who is back at Brockhall after playing for Northern Ireland on Friday.

“You’ve just got to turn up for every game, be focused, have the right mentality or else you are going to get beat and it’s as simple as that.

“It is just about being better than your man at the end of the day and winning that battle all over the pitch.”

Rovers have certainly shown the right mentality since their 2-0 defeat at Rotherham United on September 30.

Following that loss Gary Bowyer’s side have won three and drawn four of their last seven games.

The unbeaten run has left them seventh in the standings, one point behind the play-off places and five from top spot, going into Saturday’s visit of Leeds United to Ewood Park.

“It takes a while for a team to blend and I think everyone saw evidence of that at the end of last season with the 12-game unbeaten run,” said Evans, one of a host of signings made by Rovers boss Bowyer since the summer of 2013.

“It is a pretty similar to the seven-game run that we have at the minute where there’s been a few draws but we aren’t losing games and it is a good mentality to have.”

Before the international break Rovers came from behind to draw 1-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion.

And, looking back, Evans believes it was a good result.

“They are a decent side with the potential to be higher up in the table,” he said.

“Every time I’ve played there I don’t think I’ve even won a game so it was a good point, it added to our tally and hopefully it can be a better one come the end of the season.”

Evans’ midfield partner Ryan Tunnicliffe, and fellow former Manchester United youngster, reckons Rovers’ seven-match unbeaten run is a direct result of having a tight-knit squad.

He said: “I put it down to a massive team spirit and a will to win and never give up.

“It’s like at Brighton, we went 1-0 down at a hard place and got a draw.”