Joe Nuttall responded to Tony Mowbray's challenge by hitting four goals in Rovers Under-23s win over Doncaster Rovers in the Premier League Cup.

The 21-year-old, who was an unused substitute for the first team on Saturday, netted a hat-trick in the first half and added a fourth 11 minutes after the re-start.

Having not featured for the first team since September, Mowbray said of Nuttall last week: "I think he has dropped off a bit from the hungry monster that arrived and scored with virtually every kick."

And Nuttall demonstrated the form in front of goal which saw him finish as the top scorer in Premier League 2 football last season.

The win sees Rovers up and running in Group B, with three points from three games. Everton top the group on nine points, with Sheffield United on six after the first round of games. The top two qualify for the knockout phase.

Nuttall's opener came in the 18th minute, tapping home from a Stefan Mols cross.

The striker, who scored from the spot in the Under-23s defeat to West Ham last week, did so again in the 34th minute after Mols had been tripped.

And he grabbed his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time as he headed home a Ben Paton cross.

The second half was just 11 minutes old when Nuttall grabbed his fourth with something of a solo goal, cutting in from the left before firing home. 

That was the end of the scoring, though the visitors ended with 10 men when Doncaster captain Shane Blaney picked up a second yellow card.