With every passing Allen pot, the sense that this contest is alive grows a little. Having said that, his monster red to the bottom left corner leaves no colour.

Not long ago, we were wondering if this would be done and dusted before I'm A Celebrity. Now, Ronnie is missing. A lot.

Calm down. A blue taken out of necessity.

Surely O'Sullivan won't waste another chance? Just as in the previous frame, he has reds and blacks to sink at his leisure. Three and three so far.

Image source, PA

Rob: Allen is still a long way off. Even if he pulls it back to 7-5. Disagree with John Parrott there.

John Parrott
1991 world champion on BBC Two

I know every frame in the final is big, but the next one is huge. If he can get to the interval only two frames behind at 7-5, you are right in this match.

What a ruddy nice fella Shaun Murphy is. Don't go turning your nose up at custard creams, either. Frame 12 under way...

Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport at the York Barbican

You can tell we are coming to the dying stages of the tournament with this sorry looking snacks table now.

Shaun Murphy brought in a dozen donuts for the press the other day, but those custard creams are going to have to do.

100 for Mark Allenpublished at 20:02 Greenwich Mean Time 9 December 2018

20:02 GMT 9 December 2018

O’Sullivan 7-4 Allen

A century sealed with the final black! Cheers in York. Mark Allen has won two in a row and the deficit is down to three. If he takes the next one, the last before the interval, it really is game on.

42 ahead, one red remaining. If this goes, don't expect the Rocket to climb from his seat.

If Mark Allen gets back into this match, we'll look back on that three-ball plant as a turning point. To think, the shot of the championship vote is already well under way.

Martial Landing: What a plant by Allen! That’s why you pay your TV subscription right there folks! YOU RIPPER!

Ken Doherty
1997 world champion on BBC Two

That was a fantastic shot. The sort of shot that can spark you into life.

Image source, BBC Sport

Three-ball plant! Wonderful, audacious stuff from Mark Allen. How do you even see that is possible?

Steve Davis
Six-time world champion on BBC Two

Image source, PA

Mark Allen will feel a lot more comfortable and he's back on level terms for this evening. Somewhere down the line if he's going to get into this he's going to have to outplay Ronnie O'Sullivan, that's the tough part.

He might just have relaxed a bit and could be a more dangerous player if he does start to relax. You never know, we've seen many times a rearguard action from a player who thinks 'well I have nothing to lose'.

My goodness. You'd have put your mortgage, Christmas tree and nan on O'Sullivan winning the frame in that visit. However, worried about what comes next, he takes his eye off a straightforward red to the bottom-left corner.

Alan McManus
Former Masters champion on BBC Two

It's hard enough playing someone like Ronnie O'Sullivan without giving him gifts.

Big mistake from Allen from the first time he draws back the cue. A kiss on a red blocks the exit to a safety shot and gives the Rocket freedom amongst the reds and the black. This could get messy.

Mark Allen is relaxed. He leans back in his chair (black leather, the sort you see on Mastermind), and shares a word with someone on the front row. O'Sullivan, all business, returns from wherever snooker players go to and gets frame 11 under way.

Tide stemmed. Allen is still a long way back, but getting moving again is a good start. He wins his first frame for six hours.