Wembley hero Tarkan Mustafa could be set to weave his magic at Brisbane Road next season after a trial for Orient against West ham on Tuesday Night. Mustafa played 45 minutes for the O's against the Hammers and impressed Orient boss Tommy Taylor.

Taylor said "On the ball Tarkan did fine but he was not agressive enough off it. I would like him back in pre season because he can pass it and cross it".

Mustafa added "I thought I played reasonably well. It's never easy to come into a new team but I created a few chances and I didn't want to come off at half time. My agent David Bloomfield spoke to Tommy Taylor after the game and he said he would like to watch me again in pre season. I like the set up at Orient and living in the area, I have always supported them."

Morris upset by absentees by Nicholas Harling

SYMPATHY for Kingstonian players missing what would have been the biggest day of their careers came from a surprising source yesterday, the manager of their opponents in tomorrow's FA Umbro Trophy final, Kettering's Peter Morris. Kingstonian field a weakened side for their defence of the Trophy at Wembley, with at least five regular first-teamers out through injury or suspension.

"If we're going to win I'd prefer to have beaten the best side they could put out," Morris said. But he added: "We've beaten Kingstonian this season when they've been at their strongest." Kingstonian winger Phil Wingfield was carried off after an ill-judged tackle in the 2-0 Macmillan Trophy defeat by Doncaster on Monday. Morris said: "I was hoping he'd recover. Nobody likes to see any player get injured." Kingstonian manager Geoff Chapple, seeking a fifth Trophy in seven years after three successes with Woking, can name one of their two England non-League international midfielders. Geoff Pitcher escaped with a 300 fine following a visit to the Football Association on Wednesday, unlike Gary Patterson, who was banned for three games.

Chapple, who lost a night's sleep preparing Pitcher's disciplinary defence, said: "Fourteen bookings is not an automatic suspension. Most of Geoff's were for silly things. He is a decent fellow and the FA could see that." Mark Harris and Amara Simba, who missed the Macmillan Trophy defeat, will both be included by Chapple but among the absentees are striker Lee Boylan and midfielder Robin Taylor with knee injuries, while striker Joe O'Connor is doubtful with a hamstring injury. Kettering's only doubt is knee-strain victim Ian Ridgway.

CONFERENCE CLUBS PUT STRONG CASE FOR A RISE by Walter Gammie

Whether the processes of the working party set up by the Nationwide League, and the 21-day notice required to put items on the agenda for its annual meeting on June 12, will allow for an additional promotion place or places to be granted to clubs from the Nationwide Conference should become clear within the next fortnight. If nothing can be resolved for next season, it is a matter that is not going to go away because the case presented by the Conference is getting stronger all the time. Not only have Cheltenham Town proved, once again, that Conference clubs can more than hold their own in the League, but the Conference expects that by the end of next season 19 of its 22 clubs will have the A-grading required.

They are helped by the return of Boston United and the promotion of Leigh RMI, whose Hilton Park ground is being developed in conjunction with Leigh Centurions, aspirants to rugby league's Tetley's Bitter Super League, into a 10,000-capacity stadium. John Moules, the Conference chief executive, said: "If you look at Saturday, we had just one issue to decide, who went down with Sutton United. In the Football League out of the 72 clubs, 29 of them were involved in seeking promotion places, play-off places or avoiding relegation. It makes an enormous difference in sustaining interest. Too many of our clubs suffer from January without the option of a play-off place to pursue." If the structure stays unchanged, Moules is concerned about going too far towards meeting demands for more midweek fixtures in early season to avoid a repeat of the fixture crush that has fallen on Kingstonian. "People forget that part of the problem has been caused because April has become one of our worst months for postponements," he said. "We'll certainly play midweek matches in August through September into October, but you then go into FA Cup, FA Trophy and County Cup matches and if clubs have played 14 to 16 Conference matches by then and aren't doing well, it has an effect on the attendances and club finances."

Jan Molby, the manager of Kidderminster Harriers, said after his club's promotion to the Nationwide League that it was the biggest jump in football, outside moving from the First Division to the FA Carling Premiership. Molby's view reflected the club's need to shift from being part-time to full-time, but with Yeovil Town and Telford United joining the ranks of full-time clubs in the Conference next season, the truth is that the jump from the feeder leagues to the Conference is now a greater divide. Sutton United and Altrincham, relegated in their first seasons back, can testify to that.

Ambitious clubs are still intent on moving up the pyramid. Langney Sports, Histon Town, Banbury United, Mangotsfield United and Stratford Town will be seeking one of the four promotion places to the Dr Martens League at its annual meeting on May 19. North Ferriby United and Vauxhall have been promoted to the UniBond League, with Flixton returning to the North Western Trains League and Whitley Bay hoping to be given a place in the Arnott Insurance Northern League.

Arlesey Town, Brook House, Ashford Town and Burnham Ramblers will learn whether they have gained one of two promotion places to the Ryman League on May 16. Hemel Hempstead Town, winners of the Ryman Second Division, will find out on Friday whether their appeal to the Football Association, against the Ryman League's ruling that work on their ground is not up to scratch, will enable them to go up.