Ndiaye and Beto calm Everton nerves to put Rovers to bed

After two stinging defeats in the Premier League, zero goals scored, and seven shipped in a debilitating start to the season, Everton's mission was clear: dispatch Doncaster Rovers from the Carabao Cup, chalk up a first win, and prepare for Bournemouth's visit on Saturday in far better heart.

- Jamie Jackson

They achieved this, in a scrappy performance riven with tension until Iliman Ndiaye danced through the Rovers rearguard and pinged a cute finish in off Ian Lawlor's right post to make it 2-0 on 74 minutes.

Victory was confirmed by Beto's late strike, and was reward for Sean Dyche after the manager fielded a strong XI including Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Dwight McNeil to try to do so.

This classic early-season cup meeting of top-flight giant and bottom-tier minnow had a flashpoint when Everton's captain, Séamus Coleman, charged over to Jack Senior to inform him not to shove Jesper Lindstrøm down the Goodison Park touchline slope again. The upbraiding was followed by an alarm for the visitors when Joseph Olowu's interception of James Garner's threaded ball through the Rovers centre rolled past the onrushing visiting keeper, Lawlor. For a moment a comical own goal was on the cards but the Rovers No 1 recovered.