Simon Poli: Has all of York got a cough?

Robbo: Sounds like there’s a bronchitis epidemic in the audience in York.

Image source, PA

My word. When Allen is slightly out of position, he has to swerve around one close red in order to pot another. Think a footballer having to get a free-kick up and over the wall - it's harder when you're closer to the goal.

Looks more like Ali Cater. Geddit?

Deadweight red by Allen into bottom left is perfection. Real opportunity to score heavily now.

Suzanne Wolf: This is MY Mozart watching the Mozart of snooker Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Image source, Suzanne Wolf

Long red attempted by Allen, trundling towards the top right, only to bang its head on either side of door frame. With every miss, you fear for Allen's future. O'Sullivan, though, is cagey, and it's Allen who get the first point on the board.

Stand back, ref, your racking skills are not required just yet. A touching ball allows Allen an escape to balk. O'Sullivan is wide-eyed in searching for a safe option.

Early on in frame 13, we may possibly be in re-rack territory. The white is nestled amongst the pack. There could be a lot of touchy-feely stuff to keep it safe.

The players return to thunderous noise. Will we only see two more frames? We've ticked past the three-hour mark. O'Sullivan will fancy not taking it into a fifth hour.

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

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I would personally love to see Ronnie O'Sullivan chosen as one of the nominees for the Sports Personality of the Year.

I think he would throw the cat among the pigeons with the British voters, I think he would be astonished with the amount of people that would vote for him.

Issie: So glad Ronnie started working with Steve Peters, and that he was able to come back to the game mentally stronger, the game deserves to see Ronnie playing, and playing well at that.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

O'Sullivan is facing the wonderful goal of beating Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry's records, so it has to be in the back of his mind.

You could sense with the way that session was going, he knew how important that frame was. Just to keep that four-frame cushion from Allen and not to give him any encouragement.

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Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

An important frame for O'Sullivan to stop any momentum from Allen. When a player is pushed sometimes they fold. There's lots of matches we see the other guy get right back into it, it's only then the other player starts but Ronnie O'Sullivan there was doing his job.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

It's a little bit like a boxing match where he's started to throw a few punches. Allen looks like he's getting a little bit of joy and then all of a sudden he's walked into a right hander.

He's not really made any progress and is still the four frames behind.

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

It's been a fascinating four frames with a century break from Mark Allen, lots of great pots, some misses and plenty of tension.

Ronnie O'Sullivan once again has the four-frame lead with which he began the evening. At the interval, he's only two away from a seventh UK crown.

There's a lady in blue sitting on the front row. She has her head in her right hand. Possibly a Mark Allen fan.

Frame done? Delicate cut of the red into middle, long pink thickly knocked into the top left. The Rocket closes in on 8-4.

Cagey. No balls potted in living memory. O'Sullivan defends, Allen tests his patience. Has Ronnie been left one of the seven reds to the left centre? Is there a colour he can get to afterwards?

Martin Warren: As much as I admire Rocket Ronnie, would love to see this match go the distance, Mark Allen is a very underrated player.

O'Sullivan is pushing reds to the left cushion, trying to make them safe. Allen is nudging them back into play. There are 83 points left on the table. O'Sullivan needs about 20 of them.