What does the cryptic crossword clue "Villa, say: team in conference having missed the first half (9)" mean?

The definition is "Villa, say". The wordplay uses a deletion. SIDE (synonym="”team” in [confe]-RENCE missing the first half of the word") in RENCE (synonym="RENCE") = RESIDENCE; definition: "Villa, say:" The answer is RESIDENCE.

Villa, say: team in conference having missed the first half (9)

Guardian Cryptic #29300 | 7 Down | 2024-02-08 flower

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