Club's run preserved by 1-0 win at the death (4)
I believe the answer is:
iron
'club's' is the definition.
(type of golf club)
'run preserved by 1-0 win at the death' is the wordplay.
'run' becomes 'r' (cricket abbreviation).
'preserved by' is an insertion indicator (I've seen this in other clues).
'1-0' becomes 'IO' (resembles 1-0).
'at the death' indicates one should take the final letters ('at the death' can mean at the very end).
The last letter of 'win' is 'n'.
'r' put into 'io' is 'iro'.
'iro'+'n'='IRON'
(Other definitions for iron that I've seen before include "1 down, symbol Fe" , "sports club" , "Smoother - metal" , "resolve" , "rations in emergency?" .)