Folkestone Invicta have been boosted by the news that Frankie Chappell wants to stay at the club for the rest of the season.

The defender moved to Blue Square South side Welling United in the summer but returned to Cheriton Road on a loan deal in October after seeing his first team chances limited at Park View Road.

His loan period has since expired but the former Gillingham trainee looks set to continue as part of Invicta’s back line on non-contract terms.

"Frankie has come off contract and signed dual forms with us and Welling," said manager Neil Cugley. "It suits both parties because Frankie doesn’t really want to go back to Welling and not play, so doing what we’ve done will enable him to hopefully stay with us until the end of the season and then we’ll have to see what happens."

Despite Chappell agreeing to stay on at the club, he won’t be available for Saturday’s Ryman League Division 1 South game at Met Police due to a one-game ban.

Forward Kieran Byrne is also suspended for the game at Imber Court, leaving Cugley, not for the first time this season, down to the bare bones.

"We have enough players to cover the two absentees. Beyond that, our bench is looking quite short," added Cugley. "But we’ll go up there knowing that we played well against Godalming and the players will give everything against a team that have remained one of the best in the division all season. "