August 30 (THEWILL) – Everton left it late to avoid an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two’s bottom club Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday.
Despite taking an early lead through Joe Ironside, Doncaster were eventually sunk 2-1, thanks to goals from Beto and Arnaut Danjuma. The English Premier League side looked devoid of ideas and confidence in the first half, allowing Doncaster plenty of chances to take the lead. Ironside finally made the breakthrough just before halftime, heading in at the back post from a well-worked short corner routine.
Everton continued to struggle after the break, with Doncaster still creating better opportunities despite the gulf in divisions between the sides. It took the introduction of deadline day signing Beto to spark the Toffees into life, with the striker netting the equaliser in the 73rd minute after racing onto a long ball and slotting home.
Beto almost grabbed a second after hitting the post, before Danjuma secured a late winner in the 88th minute. Cutting in from the left flank, the winger created just enough space to fire a shot into the bottom corner and break Doncaster’s hearts.
While Everton survived an embarrassing early exit, manager Sean Dyche will be concerned by his side’s performance against lower-tier opposition. The Toffees now face a quick turnaround before Saturday’s clash away at Sheffield United.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
