Go for clubs from the south (4)
I believe the answer is:
stab
'go' is the definition.
(both can mean an attempt)
'clubs from the south' is the wordplay.
'clubs' becomes 'bats' (bat is a kind of club).
'from the south' shows that the letters should be reversed in order (in a down clue, letters go up).
'bats' back-to-front is 'STAB'.
'for' acts as a link.
(Other definitions for stab that I've seen before include "Try - skewer" , "Pierce with a dagger" , "Puncture" , "Wound with blade" , "Go" .)