Clues
Across
- 2 White powder kept in metal canisters (4)
- 5 Penalty will shortly be announced in decisive match (5)
- 6 Searches for faceless creatures of lore (5)
- 7 New listener to draw 4D (4)
Down
- 1 Frequently connected with X (5)
- 2 Perhaps Mr. Bird has little wings? (5)
- 3 Next time going out for good beer (5)
- 4 About to go down? Shut up! (5)
Setter’s notes
I suspect this one’s a little trickier than usual — though whenever I think that, I’m usually proven wrong.
Across
- 2 Hidden word: “meTAL Canisters” — TALC.
- 5 Sounds like (“announced”) “penalty will”, shortened: FINE’LL — FINAL.
- 6 “Searches for” = DELVES, with its face (first letter) removed — ELVES.
- 7 “New” = N + “listener” = EAR — NEAR, which also goes with 4 Down: to draw near, to draw close.
Down
- 1 “Connected with” = OF + “X” = TEN — OFTEN.
- 2 Definition by example (Mr. is a title): “bird” = TIT + the wings of “L(ittl)E” — TITLE.
- 3 In “next” = LATER, swap “good” = G in for “time” = T — LAGER.
- 4 “About” = C + “to go down” = LOSE — CLOSE.