The Sunday Crossword No. 2964

Across

1 Pull back, defended by bullets and drones (9)

Annoying person with love for sauce (5)

Tree in a small enclosure (5)

10 Most disobedient? Sure, until reformed (9)

Fun? Worker perhaps worries about various kinds (4,3,8)

12 Note and support thrust in message (8)

15 Hesitation in lead about to cause collision (4)

16 Speaker’s beginning? Give up (4)

17 Join knight in step showing restraint (8)

20 Elated, excited to hold pet for now (2,3,2,3,5)

23 Incidental topic in publication backing team (4,5)

24 Belief expressed with energy in shelter (5)

25 Party longing for respected figure (5)

26 Cause of devastation in ancient city surrounded by endless wasteland (9)

Down

1 Unworthy sailor first to board? Nervous about that (6)

2 Church damaged and left in penury, damaged as never before (15)

3 Information on contents of boat in port (5)

4 Ring with piece of advice about river excursion (5,4)

5 Say nothing about king in film about ogre (5)

6 Friend with a piece of furniture that’s pleasing (9)

7 Fashion designer in centre sat calmly working (6,9)

8 Basket emptied into river? That’s stupid (6)

13 Politician put in effort, right away, to obtain freedom (9)

14 Tangle with learner in game that’s unique (9)

18 Elegant plot, if speedy, having lost regular characters (6)

19 One working on paper painted it orange in part (6)

21 Combined force, not new (5)

22 Alien upset in struggle to become liquid (5)