### Clue: Sailor steers ship east, not away, and goes down by rope (7)
### Answer: ABSEILS 
 ### Explanation: Definition: goes down by rope
 AB(abbrev. for "able-bodied seaman";a sailor) + "sails"(steers a ship) **with** "e"(abbrev. for "east") **replacing**(not) "a"(abbrev. for "away", as in football league tables).