Gould progresses at UK Championship

Martin Gould made light work of Gareth Allen, earning a 6-2 win to progress into the second round of the UK Championship at the York Barbican.

Gould, the world number 20, started with a century in the opening frame but was level at the mid-session interval despite two further breaks of 50 plus.

“After the first four frames it was baffling how I came out at 2-2. I kind of dominated everything,” the Pinner potter said.

“But I always knew there was another gear in the tank ready to come out. I managed to win a good fifth frame and dominated from thereon.

“It was pretty simple after that. I did what I needed to do. I made sure I was on my game to finish him off.

“I was clinical. I did everything I needed to do with shot routines and stuff like that – all the boring stuff really.”

Gould, who suffered an agonising quarter-final defeat at last year’s UK Championship, faces China’s Mei Xiwen in the second round at the weekend.