Futile debut of one very much sent up during match (6)
I believe the answer is:
otiose
'futile' is the definition.
('otiose' can be a synonym of 'futile')
'debut of one very much sent up during match' is the wordplay.
'debut' suggests taking the first letters.
'one very much' becomes 'so'.
'sent up' shows that the letters should be reversed in order.
'during' is an insertion indicator.
'match' becomes 'tie' (I've seen this before**).
The first letter of 'of' is 'o'.
'so' back-to-front is 'os'.
'os' placed within 'tie' is 'tiose'.
'o'+'tiose'='OTIOSE'
(Other definitions for otiose that I've seen before include "O so tie up and be vain and empty" , "Indolent or superfluous" , "Idle, empty" , "unnecessary to say" , "Indolent, ineffectual" .)