What does the cryptic crossword clue "Penalty shootout's first save essentially lacking skill (7)" mean?

The definition is "skill". The wordplay uses a charade (building blocks). FINE (synonym="Penalty") + S (first_letter="shootout's") + S (first_letter="save") + E (first_letter="essentially") = FINESSE; definition: "skill" The answer is FINESSE.

Penalty shootout's first save essentially lacking skill (7)

Independent Cryptic #11854 | 14 Across | 2024-10-07 flower

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