An attempt to throw back sausage (7)
I believe the answer is:
bologna
'sausage' is the definition.
(I know that bologna is a type of sausage)
'an attempt to throw back' is the wordplay.
'attempt' becomes 'go' (go is a kind of attempt).
'to throw' becomes 'lob' (lobbing is a kind of throwing).
'back' says the letters should be written in reverse.
'an'+'go'+'lob'='angolob'
'angolob' back-to-front is 'BOLOGNA'.
(Other definitions for bologna that I've seen before include "North Italian university city" , "Italian city - smoked sausage" , "Capital of Emilia-Romagna" , "Italian province" .)