Intimacy by Bandmaster

Puzzle explanation

Fourteen across answers were jumbled, changing into the football scores shown in the table below. The title “Intimacy” translated into Man City 1 — to be paired with Colchester 1 — and Hull 0 was the normal entry. Placing these in the order stipulated and reading as eight pairs produced a series of “draws” (cf 51ac). Hull 0 Chelsea 0 started the series with a nil-all draw. Hence the two other entries are “nix-nie” and “nada” (both meaning “nil”). All four were to be highlighted.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Entry Explanation
Across
1 CATALO   CATALOG – G; US spelling
6 KEEPS   E(xpecting) in KEPS; reference to cricket
11 AGORA   Hidden
12 SHOELACE CHELSEA O HOLE’S * + ACE
13 PROLATIVE PORT VALE I LATI(n) in PROVE
14 SIRUPS SPURS I (US PRISONER – ONER) *
17 HALIDOM OLDHAM I I’M HALO’D * & lit
18 NARCOTISED DONCASTER I CIDER’S NOT * about A
22 DIESEL LEEDS I EL after DIES
24 SNOD   Hidden
26 PERONISED PRESTON I NO PRIEST *
28 CHOLESTERIC COLCHESTER I CHOLERIC about EST
31 SOMEWHAT WEST HAM O SO + MEW + HAT
35 AQUA   (QUAD – D) after A
37 TOULON LUTON O (OUT + LONDON – DON) *
38 MOUNTAINED MAN UNITED O MOUNT + DENIAL < – L
40 REBOANT BARNET O RANT about (EBONY – NY)
44 COQUET   CROQUET – (love)R
45 ROCAILLES CARLISLE O Composite anagram of ESOTERICALLY using YET
48 ORGANDIE READING O ORGAN (regal) + DIE
49 CELOM   C + MOLE <
50 DRAWS   Two definitions; reference cup ties and results
51 FELONY   FELON + Y
Down
1 CAPSULE   (h)UL(l) in SPACE *; semi & lit
2 TORUS   TO + RUS(a)
3 ART   Two definitions, one an abbreviation
4 LAV   VALE < – (Gr)E(ek)
5 SHLOCK   SH + LOCK
6 KEELAGES   (ALE < in KEGS) round E
7 ESTH   Two definitions, one an abbreviation for Esther
8 PELA   ALEP(h) <
9 SAIM   SIAM, I/A swapped
10 GOBIID   GOBI + ID
15 PREACE   R(ubies) in PEACE (interjection)
16 SO-SO   (O’ + SOS) <
19 NIP   NIP(per)
20 SIST   IS < + STAY – AY
21 ENORM   (MR ONE) <
23 DELTA   DELI – I + TA
24 STENT   STENT(orian)
25 BOSUN   BO + SUN
27 NIX-NIE   NINE * about IX
29 CHON   CH + ON
30 HABITANS   A BIT in HANS
32 OLÉ   Hidden
33 JUDO   JUD(ges) + (bl)O(od)
34 ZOOTOMY   (laborator)Y after (ZOOM about (T + O’))
35 AMBERY   MBE in (A + RY)
36 STORGE   G in STORE
39 HULLO HULL O HULL + O(lympics)
41 ABED   A + DEB <
42 REAR   REAR(s) and heads = toilet = rear
43 NADA   CANADA – CA
46 ICE   Two definitions, one an abbreviation
47 SEL   Alternate letters
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