Neil Cugley hopes his young squad will benefit from playing against Gillingham

The future of Folkestone Invicta is no closer to being resolved in the boardroom but the club have been handed a lucrative lifeline on the pitch by League 1 side Gillingham.

Following their Wembley play-off triumph, the Gills will bring a first team squad to Cheriton Road on Saturday for a hastily-arranged pre-season friendly.

Mark Stimson’s side had been due to visit Tonbridge Angels but the game was called off due to the state of the Angels pitch.

Invicta were offered first refusal and Saturday’s match replaces the fixture between the two sides on July 25.

Folkestone boss Neil Cugley said: "I got a call from Mark Patterson who told me their game had fallen through and offered us first choice on it. It is really good of them."

Invicta’s financial controller Andy Ingleston said it was a big day for the club.

He said: "We’d like as many people as possible to come down to see two sides playing some good football, have a drink or some food and just enjoy the day."

Meanwhile, talks between the club’s directors and potential new investors are ongoing as the club tries to fend off the threat of administration.

Invicta face debts of around £70,000 plus thousands more understood to be owed to HM Customs and Excise.

Ingleston said: "As far as I know, no news is good news. Talks are ongoing. Everyone is upbeat. We hope something will come to fruition.

"There is going to be a pause while we concentrate on this weekend’s game but hopefully we will be in a position to make some form of announcement in seven to 10 days."

Cugley said he was looking forward to getting back to football after all the off-the-field activities:

"It is obviously a big jump. There is a lot of league between the two teams. We have got a young side but they will learn from the experience.

"They have to enjoy it because it’s the first time a lot of the younger lads will have faced opposition like this."

Cugley has been impressed with fit-again Michael Yianni in training and the fomer Ramsgate man is likely to play the second half against Gillingham, while goalkeeper Kieran Mann has returned from university and is also likely to get 45 minutes.