Patrick Wallace, a Queen's University, Belfast, graduate in accountancy and of the Terry Griffiths school of technique and application, exploited Ken Doherty's ineffective form to beat the 1997 world champion 5-3 and reach the last 16 of the LG Cup here last night.

Doherty was gutted, saying: "That's the worst I've played for a long time. I don't know what it is. I'm practising harder than ever and it's just not happening for me."

Wallace, known chiefly for his surprise run to the 2001 world quarter-finals, said that he "had a good run of the balls and caught him on a bad day".

So he did, but he also had the form and nerve to clear with 86 from 44 behind to lead 4-3 and to add the decisive eighth frame with 45 from near level-pegging.

Win or lose, Wallace's appreciation of life has become keener since the death in a road accident this year of Barry McNamee, with whom he had practised since he was 14. "Barry had had a few drinks. His taxi didn't turn up and he decided to walk home," said Wallace. "I think about him every time I play. Every time things get tough I think that Barry would love to be here."

David Gray, a diminutive 23-year-old Londoner who beat John Higgins, Stephen Hendry and Peter Ebdon in reaching the final of the Regal Scottish Open last spring, eliminated an off-colour Matthew Stevens, the world No8, 5-1 and from his current 19th position clearly has the potential to rise further.

Gray's next opponent, with a quarter-final place at stake, will be Nigel Bond, once fifth but now 21st in the rankings, who beat Northern Ireland's top player Joe Swail 5-3 from 3-1 adrift.