No 13188, Saturday 06 Mar 2021, Vulcan

 

Across

1 It is an ordeal poorly justified (12) RATIONALISED {IT+IS+AN+ORDEAL*}
10 Browse one table (7) SURFACE {SURF}{ACE}
11 Comes forward and expands (5,2) STEPS UP (DD)
12 Charge everyone, say, at the start of event (6) ALLEGE {ALL}{EG}{Event}
13 Something neglected in old assignment (8) OMISSION {O}{MISSION}
15 Fix and treat stain with care (9) ASCERTAIN {STAIN+CARE*}
16 Open extra time (5) OVERT {OVER}{T}
17 Pink concoction basically taken through the mouth (5) CORAL {Concoction}{ORAL}
19 Something injected ruins meat badly (9) ANTISERUM {RUINS+MEAT*}
22 Greatest // final (8) ULTIMATE (DD)
24 Indian minister — not a guy using petty details (6) TRIVIA {manTRI}{VIA}
26 Severe dispute with team every now and then before the end of season (7) SPARTAN {SPAR}{TeAm}{seasoN}
27 Registered and making great progress (2,1,4) ON A ROLL (DD)
28 Playing in the concert focusing on one’s own group (12) ETHNOCENTRIC {IN+THE+CONCERT*}

Down

2 An appeal to wipe the floor with, say, synthetic fabric (7) ACRYLIC {A}{CRY}{~LICK}
3 First month in this Russian region — captivating (9) INAUGURAL {IN}{AUG}{URAL}
4 Died after having been born in poverty (4) NEED {NEE}{D}
5 Frantic use of stimulant before the end of deadline (4-6) LAST-MINUTE{STIMULANT*}{deadlinE}
6 Details of pressure in 2 seconds (5) SPECS {S{P}EC}{S}
7 Predetermine a standard time to eat outside (7) DESTINE {D{EST}INE}
8 A small damage to a capital city (6) ASMARA {A}{S}{MAR}{A}
9 Instrument that’s long in a way (6) SPINET {S{PINE}T}

14 An old nation’s exotic city (3,7) SAN ANTONIO {AN+O+NATIONS*}
16 Attentive old British employee (9) OBSERVANT {O}{B}{SERVANT}
17 Speaker’s offensive line (6) COURSE {~COARSE}
18 Continual struggle in desert heat (3,4) RAT RACE {RAT}{RACE}
20 Pasta with very garlicky sauce containing a bit of ricota on top (7) RAVIOLI {Ricota}{A{V}IOLI} &lit  Anno thanks to Col.
21 It’s miserable when married and obviously not independent (6) MEASLY {M}{EASiLY}
23 Suit with tie (5) MATCH (DD)
25 Only individual, say (4) SOLE {~SOUL}

Reference List

One=Ace, Say=Eg, Old=O, Time-T, Indian minister=Mantri
Month=Aug, Died=D, Having been born=Nee, Pressure=P, Second=Sec, Second=S, Standard Time=EST, Small=S, Way=St, Old=O, Old=O, British=B, Very=V, Married=M, Independent=I

Colour/Font Scheme

Definition, Solution, Component letters, Embedded links, Theme word,  Reference list word, Anagram Indicator, C/C indicator, Reversal Indicator, Hidden word Indicator, Letter Pick indicator, Deletion Indicator, Homophone Indicator, Movement Indicator, Positional Indicator, Substitution, Indicator, Opposite indicator, Link/Connector, Extraneous