What does the cryptic crossword clue "Beast pins hero in crucial contest (7)" mean?

The definition is "contest". The wordplay uses a container (one word inside another). CID (synonym="El Cid, 11th century knight") in DEER (synonym="”Beast” around CID (El Cid") = DECIDER The answer is DECIDER.

Beast pins hero in crucial contest (7)

Guardian Cryptic #29666 | 1 Down | 2025-04-11 flower

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