No 13735, Tuesday 13 Dec 2022, Lightning

Solution to 7D has been deliberately left unsolved and is to be answered only by a non-regular / novice commenter, with proper annotation. Those who have answered earlier in the week, please give others a chance.

ACROSS

1   It may be kicked twelve inches at a dance (8) FOOTBALL {FOOT}{BALL}

5   Confer degree on saint with sign of respect after commencement (6) BESTOW {BE}{ST}{bOW}

9   One that may hang back to ward off animal outside (8) DEFENDER {DE{FEND}ER}

10 Working within sixty minutes to get respect (6) HONOUR {H{ON}OUR}

12 Not in control, be defeated without offence at the start (5) LOOSE {LO{Of...e}SE}

13 A short daring initiative primarily dropped and eliminated (9) ABOLISHED {A}{BOLd}{{In...e}{SHED}

14 Put together in favour of medicine (6) FORMED {FOR}{MED}

16 Basically unsupervised zonal hospital building in Chinese city (7)  LANZHOU {Un...d+ZONAL+H}*

19 Short team clothing partly kept by leading rookie player in one (7) STRIKER  STRI{KEpt}{Ro...e} Anno pending (Addendum - {STRIp}{KEpt}{Ro...e} - See comments)

21 European shine (6) POLISH [DD]

23 Negligent leader returns with abatement (9) REMISSION {REMISS}{NO 1<=}

25 Part of helmet represented in unit of length (5) METRE [T]

26 Small quantity of eggnog, gingerbread (6) NOGGIN [T]

27 Everyone to return and spread out to be assigned a share (8) ALLOTTED {ALL}{TO<=}{TED} 

28 Provoke former lover with quote (6) EXCITE {EX}{CITE}

29 Part of engine left dry - nice to be replaced (8) CYLINDER {L+DRY+NICE}*

DOWN

1   Couple of diamonds smuggled in document - it's a fraud (6) FIDDLE {FI{DD}LE}

2   Side with tone - it's in poor taste (3,6) OFF COLOUR {OFF}{COLOUR}

3   Indulge in game for the most part with energy (5) BINGE {BINGo}{E}

4   General drawback in the side the wind blows (7) LEEWARD {LEE}{DRAW<=}

6   Omit a lone mistake, becoming passionate (9) EMOTIONAL*

7   Small quantity of drug hard on canine perhaps (5) T?O?H (Addendum - TOOTH {TOOT}{H} - See comments)

8   Promise to protect primarily large bowl - one that a winner gets (5,3) WORLD CUP {WOR{La..e}D}{CUP}

11 Attempt by a rookie - it could result in a score (4) GOAL {GO}{A}{L}

15 Temporary mask thief destroys (9) MAKESHIFT*

17 Governor's appeal had Democrat paused briefly (9) HESITATED {HE'S}{IT}{ATE}{D}

18 Established scope to separate (8) ESTRANGE {EST}{RANGE}

20 Ransack short written record of events from the bottom (4) RAID DIARy<=

21 Many left going down absorbing a fine (7) PENALTY {P(-l)EN(+l)LTY} over {A}

22 Leader (king) could score with this (6) HEADER {HEAD}{ER}

24 Marvellous and grand illusion conjured for starters (5) MAGIC Acrostic semi&lit

25 Islanders gutted important institute (5) MAORI {MAjOR}{I}

Reference List

Spread out = TED, Former lover = EX, Left = L, Diamond = D, Energy = E, Hard = H, Rookie = L, Appeal = IT, Democrat = D, King = ER, Institute  I