The Sunday Crossword No 2987, Sunday 18 Mar 2018

ACROSS
1    Job with club for instance providing communication (8) POSTCARD {POST}{CARD}
5    Thrust cable into place (6) PROPEL {P{ROPE}L}
9    Inspire some vigorous exercise (5) ROUSE [T]
10 Inhabitants are found, right away? Rubbish (9) OCCUPANTS {OCCUr}{PANTS} Pants/Rubbish? See comments
12 Sensitive novel varies in power (13) CONTROVERSIAL {CONTRO{VARIES*}L}
14 Oppressed in US city before retreat (5) LADEN {LA}{DEN}
16 Musician with universal appeal, revolutionary artist in essence (9) GUITARIST {G{U}{IT}{RA<=}IST}
17 Examiner, one with new part accepting pressure (9) INSPECTOR {1}{N}{S{P}ECTOR}
19 Saint in denial? Not nice (5) NASTY {NA{ST}Y}
20 People in battle hiss corrupted institution (13) ESTABLISHMENT {MEN} in {BATTLE+HISS}*
23 Anger, apprehending name as false (9) INSINCERE {I{N}{SINCE}RE}
24 Paved area with odd parts for plants I love (5) PATIO {PlAnTs}{I}{O}
25 Sense of taste? Mate scoffed (6) PALATE {PAL}{ATE}
26 Extend popular line (8) INCREASE {IN}{CREASE}

DOWN
1    Grating remark added to letter about criminal court badly set up (10) PORTCULLIS {P{COURT*}{ILL<=}S}

2    Incentive none initially reject (5) SPURN {SPUR}{None}
3    V-shaped mark? There's one in tail of exotic bird (7) CHEVRON {e...iC{HE{V}RON}
4    Swede perhaps in love with Greta to be confounded (4,9) ROOT VEGETABLE {LOVE+GRETA+TO+BE}*

6    Agent left in charge with author's first copy (7) REPLICA {REP}{L}{IC}{Au...r}
7    Write a line on obligations and sanctions (9) PENALTIES {PEN}{A}{L}{TIES}
8    Survive after all others (4) LAST [DD]
11 Creature with message in horror film, quietly breaking equipment over time (7,6) CARRIER PIGEON {CARRIE}{R{P}IG}{EON}
13 Unadventurous treatment of hot meat, say (4-2-4) STAY-AT-HOME*
15 Distribution, rapid, less organised (9) DISPERSAL*
18 Alien clutching unknown metal, cold and dead (7) EXTINCT {E{X}{TIN}{C}T}
19 Drama, musical drama, mostly unsuccessful type (2-5) NO-HOPER {NOH}{OPERa}
21 More taking part in next rally (5) EXTRA [T]
22 Without firmness proceed unsteadily (4) LIMP [DD]

GRID