NEWPORT County manager Justin Edinburgh will resist the temptation to give super sub Jake Harris a place in the starting XI for Saturday’s FA Trophy clash with Carshalton.

The 21-year-old striker came off the bench to seal victory at Gateshead at the weekend, just four days after netting a brace at Worksop in the Trophy.

Edinburgh feels Harris has a bright future but is being careful not to rush his progress at Spytty Park.

"We’ve got to be realistic and I think Jake would be the first to admit that he’s not ready to influence the game from the off," said the Exiles boss.

"When he comes on in the last 15 minutes he’s showed that he’s a natural finisher and that’s something that you can’t coach.

"If we can develop him and continue to nurture him then I think we’ve got a star on our hands."

The player himself was delighted with his injury time heroics.

"It was a big goal and it couldn’t have come at a better time," said the ex-Weston-super-Mare forward.

"We’ve got a great spirit here and we can only go upwards now. I’m really enjoying it.

"The gaffer is a great guy and I’m full of confidence at the moment. "I’ve worked hard to come back from injury and my teammates helped me through it.

"We’re going places and we want to stay up and get to Wembley in the FA Trophy."

Edinburgh also has his eyes on a trip to Wembley and he thinks the Trophy run can help in the fight to steer clear of the Blue Square Bet Premier relegation zone.

"The Trophy has given us a platform to build on and we feel that it is a competition we can realistically get to the final," he said. "There’s no greater day out than a trip to Wembley.

"We go back to Forest Green with the win there. It’s all about winning games and that has helped build confidence.."

One competition that will no longer retain Edinburgh’s attention this season is the Welsh Cup as his side crashed to a 4-0 defeat at The New Saints.

The match was played at the same time as the Gateshead fixture at the insistence of TNS, meaning the County side was considerably weakened.

"It’s disappointing really," said Edinburgh. "We haven’t been able to put out a competitive side and it’s a shame because it’s a prestigious competition and we didn’t have an equal opportunity."