New signing Iliman Ndiaye scored on his debut and Everton overcame a poor start to the Premier League season to defeat Doncaster and reach the third round of the Carabao Cup.

After coming on as a substitute in defeats to Brighton and Tottenham, Senegalese international Ndiaye – a £15m summer transfer from Marseille – capped his impressive first start for the club by scoring Everton’s second goal in the 74th minute.

He received the ball 32 metres from goal, turned to head towards goal, rounded defender Joseph Olowu and finished with a calm finish.

His start was one of six changes made by manager Sean Dyche, including the debuts of Jesper Lindstrom and Jake O’Brien.

However, Everton remained strong and struggled to overcome Doncaster until they took the lead in the 53rd minute.

Dwight McNeil celebrated the goal, claiming Tim Iroegbunam’s shot from the edge of the box hit his shin on its way into the net.

Ndiaye had set up Everton’s best chance of the first half – his strength created a gap for James Garner, whose effort was blocked – and a superb cross in the second half was missed by striker Beto.

Beto finally scored his goal in the 84th minute to secure a win that should lift the mood at Goodison Park.

League Two side Doncaster did well, with Jack Senior’s best chance in the first half being saved by Jordan Pickford.

Dyche, whose team are bottom of the Premier League after two games without scoring and conceding seven goals, described the victory as a “small step forward” and added: “We want the whole group to make a mark. It’s not just about new players, it’s about every single player.”

“Can they evolve for the next challenge? We’ve had to do that many times. Challenges come, we have to go on and on and on, and right now there’s another challenge.”

Tuesday’s EFL Cup action