It’s starting to feel a bit… a bit like Groundhog Day, actually. Last year, the terrible start included three games in which the Blues lost without scoring a goal, and before the Carabao Cup game against Doncaster, Everton conceded four goals in a terrible game against Aston Villa. See what I mean!

This year it’s Doncaster again, albeit at Goodison Park, and it’s hoped there will be a groundswell of support to drown out the ugly scenes at London station as the players returned home after the Spurs debacle.

Starting line-up

I began my report last year by saying, “Sean Dyche heralded the changes when he named a new Everton team to take on the relegation candidates from League Two.” And, as it was Groundhog Day, that was true again!

Beto, Ndiaye and Lindstrom all started, Coleman and Garner were welcome returns. Joao Virginia remained on the bench and Pickford was given the night to improve his game after Saturday’s woeful performance.

Match report

The game lasted only seconds before Seamus Coleman was wide of the ball and tried to bring the ball into the box. The rain poured down as always

Everton’s first real chance started with a lovely pass from Mykolenko to McNeil, who put the ball in the middle but Beto was inches away. Ndiaye tried to play the ball back to Lindstrom but the ball was intercepted. The crowd at Goodison Park liked what they saw.

After a hectic start, the game settled down and a nice tackle from Iroegbunam allowed Ndiaye to play the ball into the channel for Beto, but it was the Doncaster defender who decided to shoot at his own goal. To avoid his embarrassment, the goalkeeper was able to come back and clear the ball away.

Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images

After fifteen minutes, Doncaster got some control of the ball but they failed to get past the back line. Coleman then pushed forward and his pass to McNeil allowed a shot but it deflected and resulted in a corner. The resulting corner ended with players scattered all over the box but the referee did not blow his whistle.

A long free kick from Gibson surprised the Everton defenders and a late tackle from Michael Keane gave Doncaster their first chance of the game, but the wall held firm. From the resulting corner, Jordan Pickford had to step in to save a curling shot that had run into the corner. Doncaster’s confidence grew.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

A lovely ball into the box from McNeil forced Lawlor to palm the ball out. His play put pressure on the Doncaster goal but the final touch was missing. Another scramble, sparked by Michael Keane’s long clearance, saw the Doncaster goalkeeper batting at the ball but once again Everton could not capitalise.

Another ball into the box from Garner found Beto, who was between the centre-backs, but couldn’t get his head on the ball. A nice move from Ndiaye brought him into the box and his back pass to Garner was only prevented by a deflection from the sliding defenders. The resulting corner was headed back by Keane and it was Lindstrom who passed towards goal but his shot bounced off the post. It was the last move of the half.

The second half began with no substitutions on either side. Everton controlled the game from the start and it was a beautiful move by Lindstrom on the right that was played back to Iroegbunam who hit the ball so cleanly that it bounced off McNeil and he happily accepted the applause. The crowd at Goodison were delighted with the goal and sang loudly to celebrate.

Photo by Peter Byrne/PA Images via Getty Images

Shortly after the restart, Doncaster had to reshuffle when Dixon was injured and replaced by Sperry. Tim Iroegbunam received the first yellow card of the game. It was then Garner who pushed forward and his pass went wide of the goal, beyond Beto’s reach.

Doncaster made several changes to try and turn the game back in their favour. Everton continued to press forward and this time it was Ndiaye who burst forward but his shot was blocked. Seconds later, a beautiful move from Ndiaye and Beto got the ball with his head but was unable to direct it towards goal.

Dyche made his first changes, taking back Coleman, Garner and Lindstrom and bringing on Young, Harrison and Gueye. Everton dominated the play and moved the ball well up the pitch. Beto forced a corner with good pressing and the resulting corner was a shot by Mykolenko which was blocked.

Doncaster had their first real chance after some lovely passing, but Pickford went deep and parried the shot. Everton continued to dominate possession. A lovely run from Ndiaye was followed by a lovely turn that gave him the space to fire the ball into the near corner and decide the game. The spirit of the Blues resonated around the Grand Old Lady.

Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Seconds later, McNeil surged forward and only a slip on the turf denied him the chance to get on the scoresheet as the ball went just over the bar. Doncaster brought on Billy Sharp and from a corner the former Sheffield United man had a fine chance but Pickford was there again.

It was game, set and match when Everton broke through on the left and Mykolenko laid the ball back to a charging Beto who fired the ball into the net. The big man danced for the Gwladys Street End and they cheered him on.

Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images

Harrison Armstrong replaced Tim Iroegbunam for the final five minutes. Three minutes of stoppage time passed without any notable events and the Goodison crowd stayed until the end to celebrate a much-needed victory.

Everton Player of the Match: At the weekend, Dwight McNeil was one of the few players trying to attack, but he had no support around him when he made runs. Today, Ndiaye, Beto and Lindstrom were all happy to break into the channels and McNeil delivered some sharp passes that put Doncaster under pressure. It must also be mentioned that he covered every blade of grass to create chances and defend when needed.

Immediate response

Of course, this was a game against a lower league opponent, but it was clear from the start that the intention was more attacking. The passes from Iroegbunam and Garner into the channels for Beto, Lindstrom and McNeil were much better than the lobs over the top that we saw in the two league games. The obvious question is whether this team will stand a chance against Bournemouth. Iliman Ndiaye was direct, fast and everything we thought he was buying. If I was in charge, Ndiaye would be behind Calvert Lewin and Doucoure behind Dyche.

The return of Seamus Coleman further reinforced the comments about Roman Dixon. This would have been another chance to use Dixon in the team and strengthen his relationships with those around him, but that didn’t happen. It was good that he got a few minutes at the end of the game. There was also talk that Harrison Armstrong would get a chance and his exclusion from the start showed that Dyche was sticking to his plan of building the young players up slowly. Again, a cameo at the end was good for the young man.

Jake O’Brien played alongside Michael Keane and the pair had a very solid performance. Young O’Brien was composed and ready to receive the ball and look for a pass without panicking. He is a towering figure who blocked all the high balls that came into the box. Dyche will have a big decision to make in the near future, as he did last year when he brought Branthwaite into the team in the Doncaster game, a place he kept for the rest of the season.

Iliman Ndiaye was direct, fast and everything we thought we were buying. Now Dyche has to put him behind Calvert Lewin.

Let’s hope the Groundhog Day continues. Another positive result in the Carabao Cup and remember that last year we won three of our next five games and drew one.