Crossword Genius

He takes the fall when a space got ruined (9)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

scapegoat

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'he takes the fall' is the definition.
The answer is a person as well as being a singular noun. This is suggested by the definition.

'a space got ruined' is the wordplay.
'ruined' indicates an anagram.
'a'+'space'+'got'='aspacegot'
'aspacegot' is an anagram of 'SCAPEGOAT'.

'when' is the link.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for scapegoat that I've seen before include "One who takes the blame for others" , "Can carrier" , "One blamed for others' mistakes" , "One blamed for another's mistakes" , "Lay blame on" .)

I've seen this clue in The Mirror.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app