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1 Across, Sturdy dogs finish off soldiers not forced into service (6,8)
8 Down, Targeted coercive measures hurt; I cannot set out aboard ship (5,9)
9 Down, Sentiment, dry, has to inhabit Irish witan absurd pursuit (4-5,)

Many thanks in advance

1 scotch terriers

8 smart sanctions

is 9 definitely 4 and 5 for the answer?

9 D - I thought it was going to be Wild Goose Chase - and I now see the comma after 4-5, so I think the other 5 was just missed off?

Please forgive me,9 down should be 4-5,5

Once again sorry.

Wild Goose Chase looks right.

I have finished but the parsing of the last one defeats me:
14D Fighting spread in fringes of Tulloch, largely in a frustrated manner.(10). -H-A-T-D-Y. Looks like thwartedly ( first and last letters of Tulloch then warted + first and last of largely. But why warted?

fighting : war
spread: ted
fringes of Tulloch & largely: th ly

TED (verb)
turn over and spread out (grass, hay, or straw) to dry or for bedding.
"this row requires careful tedding"