After a quiet start, the half livened up a touch towards the break with Andy Carroll's volley the best chance for the hosts. Ex-Hammer James Tomkins missed from point-blank range, but opportunities have been at a premium.

Palace win a corner when replays show the ball rebounded last off Jason Puncheon, but Andy Carroll makes sure his side don't concede, getting back into defence to hoof the ball to the sidelines.

Chris Sutton
Ex-Chelsea striker on Final Score

Incredible miss. James Tomkins must be two yards out. He just has to score.

Martin Keown: He must've felt sorry for his old club and let them off the hook. I just feel Crystal Palace are growing into this one and have better players on the pitch.

Image source, Reuters

Andy Carroll is very late on Joel Ward and is the next to be booked for his mistimed tackle inside the Palace half.

There's consternation all round, as no-one in claret-and-blue attacks Sofiane Feghouli's inviting cross, while the Palace defence bicker about who should have gone for it.

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Joe Ledley catches Manuel Lanzini and goes into Neil Swarbrick's book.

Andros Townsend swings the ball in again, this time from open play, towards Jason Puncheon. It causes confusion in the home defence, but Darren Randolph is able to clear it away at the second time of asking.

The resulting free kick goes all the way over to James Tomkins inside the six-yard area, but the ex-Hammer fluffs his lines and stabs the ball across the face of goal when hitting the target seemed the easier option.

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Mark Noble loses the ball in midfield, and seconds later he goes into the book for catching Andros Townsend on the left of the West Ham area.

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Yohan Cabaye makes a lovely connection to a first-time volley from a long way outside the area, but keeper Darren Randolph has no problems falling to his left to make the save. But that's Palace's first shot on target, and the game feels like it is opening up.

Andy Carroll makes a claim for a penalty after his header strikes Scott Dann, but it is waved away and replays show the ball struck Dann on the back.

The average position map here shows just how cagey it has been so far.

Image source, BBC Sport

At last, we have a chance! Mark Noble gets enough space on the right to send in a low cross to Andy Carroll, who gets in a first-time volley that flies just over the bar from the edge of the box.

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James Collins hits the deck after being caught in the mouth by Christian Benteke's arm as they rise to a high ball into the West Ham defence. Collins makes his point to the referee but play carries on.

Martin Keown
Former Arsenal defender on Final Score

With Andy Carroll and Christian Benteke on either side, this game is like a throwback.

Both teams look really up for this - you always want to get one over on a manager who not long ago left the club as Slaven Bilic will want to do over Sam Allardyce.

It's really open so far and could go either way.

Manuel Lanzini makes a decent, weaving run across the face of the Palace box but his hopeful shot rebounds out of play off a Palace defender. Michail Antonio then tries a cross from the right, but it's way to strong and skims away to the far side.

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There's a lot of sideways passing from West Ham when they have it, while Palace are a little bit more forward-thinking, but otherwise it feels like cat-and-mouse at the moment.

Yohan Cabaye finds Jason Puncheon on the edge of the West Ham area with a pinpoint pass of over 50 yards. It drops invitingly over the shoulder, but Puncheon's shot loops high over the bar.

Michail Antonio gets forward to swing in a low cross towards Andy Carroll, lurking on the edge of the box, but a Palace boot is flung in there to clear the ball away.

Image source, Reuters

A tale of two Sams for Palace today, with Sammy Lee alongside Sam Allardyce in the dugout for the first time. Neither has had anything to get them off their seats just yet, though, with West Ham still making most headway.