Ray Turner says the financial boost given by Faversham’s bumper pre-season gate against Gillingham is the perfect way to start the campaign.

More than 1,200 fans, many of them paying £10 a ticket, packed the Shepherd Neame Stadium on Friday night to see Town lose 1-0 to the League 1 visitors.

Manager Turner said: “It was a tremendous night for the club. When you organise something like that you’re never quite sure how it’s going to go but we were lucky with the weather and the fact it was their first game. It was a positive night and some vital income for a club of our size.”

Town head to the Belmont on Saturday (3pm) to face Whitstable before welcoming Margate to Salters Lane on Tuesday night (7.45pm).

Turner added: “We are back to reality on Saturday because a game against Whitstable is a lot more like the level we are going to be competing at when the Bostik South season starts.

“I know Scott Porter and I fully expect them to be challenging for the title in the division below, and on Tuesday we play Margate who I expect to be pushing Billericay all the way for promotion in the division above.”

Turner is expecting several players to be unavailable this weekend, after the near full complement against Gills.

He added: “I’ll probably have 16 at most. Having made nine subs against Gills, it’s funny how that happens.

“It’s difficult, though, because people have still got holidays and things and you're asking them to commit a lot of time over the course of the next nine months.”

Turner is unsure whether Jack Paxman will be available as he has split time between Town and Herne Bay in pre-season.

Town face a trip to Whitstable or Croydon in the preliminary round of the FA Cup on August 19.