ACCRINGTON's Shokat Ali gained a 6-4 victory over Birmingham's Karl Payne at Preston Guild Hall yesterday in the first round of the Liverpool Victoria UK Championship.

Ali, a first round casualty in last month's Grand Prix, rattled in breaks of 88 and 72 to set up a second round clash against the out of form Canadian, Alain Robidoux for a place in the last 32.

A four-hour match was resolved when Ali completed a clearance of 34 to make sure of victory on the black.

"It was a weird sort of game in which we both lost frames we should have won.

"But it was so important for me to win bearing in mind what happened at the Grand Prix," said Ali who next month competes in the last 16 of the German Open in Bingen.

Preston's Ian McCulloch almost squandered a 5-1 lead before completing a 6-5 victory over Jason Ferguson. But McCulloch, who now faces Tony Drago, stepped in when Ferguson miscued when leading 37-1 in the decider.

"I never expected that to happen, but at the same time, Jason just didn't look confident in the last frame in which I felt no pressure at all.

"After all, he had done all the hard work and I wasn't expected to beat him" said McCulloch whose performances so far this season have firmly pointed him towards a top 64 ranking.

The 26-year-old world No 75 fired in a break of 100 to lead 2-0 and further runs of 75 and 40 helped him to lead by four with five to play.

Then came a near fatal mistake as McCulloch, on a break of 57 and heading for a 6-1 victory, attempted a rash red.

"If Dennis Taylor had been watching, he would have shot me 20 times. It was a silly shot to try and I paid the penalty for it."

McCulloch eventually lost the frame on the black, but it all came right for him in the decider.

"I would have been gutted had I lost because this victory was so important to me if I'm to climb into the top 64 next season. As for playing on home ground, I love it and the more people who turn up to watch me, the better."

Drago and McCulloch met last season in the last 32 of the British Open at Plymouth, a match which the Maltese won, 5-0.

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