The Sunday Crossword No 2986, Sunday 11 Mar 2018

ACROSS
1   Eager demon before a match not lacking heart (9) IMPATIENT {IMP}{A}{TIE}{NoT}
6   Front of ship supporting weight (4) PROW {PRO}{W}
8   Barriers broken by real pest involved in deceptive behaviour (5,9) FALSE PRETENCES {REAL+PEST}* in {FENCES}
10 Sign changes, losing volume (5) ARIES vARIES
11 Horse in endless action after record back in time of greatest achievement (6,3) GOLDEN AGE {LOG<=}{DE{NAG}Ed}
12 Items as arranged for artist (7) MATISSE*
14 Saint surrounded by snakes and crows (6) BOASTS {BOA{ST}S}
17 Difficult hearing (6) TRYING [DD]
18 Audibly dismissed, revolutionary pair left (3,4) OUT LOUD {OUT} {DUO}{L}<=
20 Strengthen control, following evil creature east (9) REINFORCE {REIN}{F}{ORC}{E}
22 Diving bird black in colour apart from tail (5) GREBE {GRE{B}En}

23 Doubts, even if temporary initially, harboured by assistants (6,8) SECOND THOUGHTS {SECOND{THOUGH}{Te...y}S}
24 Happy tips in general accepted (4)  GLAD {Ge...aL}{Ac...eD}
25 Critic's article in German about time with performer (9) DETRACTOR {DE{T}R}{ACTOR}

DOWN
1   Format mainly designed to be provocative (12) INFLAMMATORY*
2   Friend not clear about right method of fortune-telling (9) PALMISTRY {PAL}{MIST{R}Y}
3   Strain without opening lock (5) TRESS sTRESS
4   Tea before the usual time holding amount of work up (4,4) EARL GREY {EARL{ERG<=}Y}
5   Gossip, tons and tons in story (6) TATTLE {TA{T}{T}LE}
6   Write note on amount paid for festival (9) PENTECOST {PEN}{TE}{COST}
7   Musical drama in old age retaining power (5) OPERA {O}{P}{ERA}
9   Shrewd sellers newly disposing of large piece of furniture (5,7) WELSH DRESSER {SHREWD+SELlERS}*

13 Cool gains for excited Democrat (9) SANGFROID {GAINS+FOR}*{D}
15 Bird coming from south to north, swallow around church (9) STONECHAT {S}{TO}{N}{E{CH}AT} With help from Google

16 Plant, cut by me, covering a bit (8) SOMEWHAT {SO{ME}W}{HAT}
19 Hero, dedicated, partly undermined (6) ERODED [T]
21 One understanding dream (5) IDEAL {1}{DEAL}
22 Fuss raised about last item of menu after good cheese (5) GOUDA {AD{menU}O}<= after {G}

GRID