Rhys Evans and the Blackpool fans don't get on.

That's why he is keen to make the most of his short time in City's goal.

The on-loan keeper's appearance at MK Dons on Saturday was his first in the league since February.

Putting the frustration of losing to one side, Evans was happy to come back in from the cold.

Blackpool may be going from strength to strength after winning promotion to the Championship but for Evans, his own position has been distinctly chilly.

The 25-year-old, who left hometown club Swindon for the Seasiders just over a year ago, has found himself a target for the home supporters.

"I haven't been happy at Blackpool for a long time," admitted Evans, "and I've not been made to feel welcome there in many ways.

"It's not necessarily down to the players and the staff but the surrounding factors at the club. After an early period of last season the Blackpool fans decided that I wasn't the goalkeeper for them.

"We had a poor start and I think they tried to pin that on me a little bit. I had replaced the player of the season in Lee Jones so I was the convenient target.

"We let in a few goals when the ball was bobbling over my hand and things like that and it all built up into a negative attitude towards me. That made it increasingly difficult for me to succeed there "I played 39 games last season but don't think I enjoyed many of them. That's why I wanted to go somewhere just to enjoy playing football again.

"Hopefully by coming away here and doing well, the fans will give me a clean slate when I go back and I may do the same for them. At the moment there's a mutual dislike with one another."

As a youngster, Evans was a trainee at Chelsea. He was released from Stamford Bridge the day after boss Claudio Ranieri had dropped a strong hint that he would be given a contract.

You learn to grow a thick skin, particularly as a goalkeeper, where every mistake is highlighted a hundred times more than with any other position.

Evans, therefore, is full of sympathy for the man he has temporarily uprooted as City's number one.

Donovan Ricketts was on the bench at stadium:mk, ending a run of 79 successive league appearances dating back to December 17, 2005. His last absence, against Rotherham, was after a controversial red card at Southend. Earlier that season, Ricketts was sidelined by an ankle injury.

But Saturday was the first time he had been left out on form ground since winning the starting jersey from Paul Henderson towards the end of the 2004-2005 campaign.

As a fellow paid-up member of the goalkeepers' union, Evans appreciates how the Jamaican is feeling.

He said: "It must be very difficult for Donovan and I just hope I handle the situation with dignity. I'm certainly not here to rub his nose in it. I've been there and know what he must be going through. It happens to everybody.

"Once you get a couple of things go against you, whether it's your fault or not, it makes it increasingly difficult. When a team struggles as well, sometimes you're seen as the reason for that and the pressure just builds and builds."

Evans is still getting to know his new team. He only got the call from Stuart McCall on Thursday afternoon and had just one training session before being thrust into the clash with the leaders.

Considering the MK Dons pressure, the keeper was not overworked, though he looked confident dealing with the stream of high balls that were regularly fired in.

"I know the manager wanted someone to come and take crosses and go for deep balls in the box. That's something I try to do generally in my game and I was pleased with that.

"Personally, I was quite happy with the way it went but it's very disappointing to get beaten like that because I thought we were going to hang on."

Ironically it was a mistake by Joe Colbeck, who Evans had roomed with in the team hotel the night before, which paved the way for MK Dons to claim a sixth straight win - and condemned City to a fourth loss on the bounce.

Evans added: "Heads went down briefly for a little while, which I suppose you can understand, but we gradually got ourselves back into it and maybe if the penalty had been give five minutes earlier we might have had a chance.

"I've come from a club where there's a positive feeling about it. If anybody was to ask me about the success at Blackpool, it's been built on a close unit and the good camaraderie among the lads. If I can put that across to the players here then maybe it will help."

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