I have to say, though, West Brom look pretty comfortable in the opening minutes of the second half. Everton can't get the ball at the moment. Long way to go, however.

Pardew joked during his pre-match press duties that he hoped Bolasie would go down with food poisoning to prevent him playing in the game. The winger is still feeling his way back to full match sharpness after two knee operations, but Pardew is fully aware of his threat.

Everton have made a half-time change. Yannick Bolasie, who played for West Brom boss Alan Pardew at Crystal Palace, is on for Nikola Vlasic. Everton are attacking the Park End in the second half.

Steve Crossman
BBC Radio 5 live at Goodison Park

Jay Rodriguez scored with a smart finish early on and it should have been 2-0 to West Brom at the end of the first half when their number nine Salomon Rondon headed over. How appropriate that would have been. Gareth Southgate is here presumably to check out players like Theo Walcott. I can’t remember him touching it.

Richard Crook: So far, so good on this memorable day for the Baggies. Come on WBA, do it for Cyrille.

George Powell: Well at least we aren’t making any more signings hey Sam? Be a real shame to break up this solid unit we’ve got at Everton...

Theo Walcott, playing in a wide role for Everton, has been fairly quiet so far. In the first half, he did not touch the ball one in the West Brom penalty area.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

A bit of half-time reading for you. There have been many heartfelt and articulate tributes to Cyrille Regis in the past week; this, by the excellent Dave Bowler, external - Albion's archivist - is among the very best.

James, Goodison: Stop the press, we've had a shot!

A first shot on target in 2018 for Sam Allardyce's side...

Jay Rodriguez's goal the difference. Everton have finally managed a shot on target in a Premier League match in 2018, though.

It's not going Theo Walcott's day so far. The Everton debutant takes a loose touch, and sends Grzegorz Krychowiak flying as he tries to retrieve possession. A yellow card for the former Arsenal man.

Image source, Reuters

West Brom are finishing the first half strongly. Chris Brunt delivers a corner, and Salomon Rondon soars above Jonjoe Kenny to power a header wide. I'm not sure Kenny, a relatively slight figure, is the best man to be marking the muscular Rondon at set-pieces.

Image source, PA

There's a very loud, very grumpy Everton fan who appears to have found one of the TV pitchside microphones, and is making his feelings known into it every few minutes. To summarise his messages, he would like Everton to pay with a bit more pace, and West Brom's players to get up a little quicker when they go down with an injury. I've a feeling the Match of the Day editing team will get to work on him before broadcast tonight.

Everton striker Cenk Tosun digs his elbow into the ribs of West Brom defender Craig Dawson as they jump together. I wonder if that's a bit of pay back for Dawson's challenge on Schneiderlin a few minutes ago? Dawson is OK after taking a moment to get his breath back.

Now they have - at last. Jonjoe Kenny cuts in from the right on to his left foot and hits a hopeful effort. Ben Foster fumbles before gathering, but it's all harmless stuff. There is ironic applause from the home fans. Goodison can be an unforgiving place.

And Everton have still not managed a shot on target.

Sam Allardyce chews gum intently, deep in thought. If the manager is not planning a half-time tactical change, I'd be amazed. Everton midfielder James McCarthy bowls over Grzegorz Krychowiak in frustration. Nobody in blue is having any fun here. West Brom look comfortable.

"It's all a little bit pedestrian from Everton," says Match of the Day commentator Martin Fisher, as the home side attack with all the pace of a traffic jam. They're going to have to work a lot harder than this to break down West Brom's defence. "Growing unrest inside Goodison, at this fairly insipid display," Fisher adds.

Everton's Theo Walcott, picked out by a lovely Gylfi Siguyrdsson pass, delivers an outswinging cross in the direction of Cenk Tosun, who is not anticipating it and sees the ball fly past him like a seagull heading for the cliffs.

West Brom defender Craig Dawson, meanwhile, gets a talking to from referee Stuart Attwell for an over-physical challenge that send Morgan Schneiderlin hurtling into the air.

Everton's forward players are still getting to know each other, like business executives on an awkward bonding weekend. Cenk Tosun plays what would have been a neat pass towards the corner flag, had any of his team-mates made an overlapping run. None did. If this were an episode of The Apprentice, they would all now be on their mobiles shouting at each other.

A worry for West Brom here as captain Jonny Evans goes down clutching his left calf, having fallen awkwardly in an aerial challenge with Cenk Tosun. Evans, linked with Arsenal and Manchester City among others, is back on his feet after treatment, though.

Image source, Reuters