Chris Melling's chances of qualifying for the Main Tour next season look to have virtually gone.

The 22-year-old from Keighley was beaten 4-3 by Malcolm Bilclough (Leeds) in the final qualifying round of Event Four on the Challenge Tour at the Manhattan Club and Snooker Centre in Harrogate.

The 1999 Bradford Championship runner-up really needed to qualify to advance his cause, but shock results in the Southern qualifier at Swindon still mean he has a slim chance.

"We won't definitely know until the qualifiers finish tomorrow," said a World Snooker Association official.

"Chris was 24th in the Order of Merit going into the tournament, and only the top 16 will qualify. At the moment he is through, but things could well change."

Melling trailed 3-1, but pulled back to 3-3 with breaks of 59 and 74. However, he lost the final frame 64-17, Bilclough having a 33 break.

Bilclough, just a month younger than Melling, was ranked 87th going into the tournament, and Bradford's Wayne Cooper, who plays this afternoon in the second round, was 122nd.

Both would need to reach the final to be certain of joining the game's elite next season.

Cooper faces either Andrew Duff or David Wormald.