Gillingham teenagers Joseph Gbode, Sam Gale and Alex Giles join Folkestone Invicta alongside Braintree Town midfielder Simo Mbonkwi

Three Gillingham teenagers are among four new faces at Folkestone as they push for promotion from Isthmian Premier.

Injury-hit Invicta have signed striker Joseph Gbode, midfielder Sam Gale and defender Alex Giles from the League 1 club, while Simo Mbonkwi has also joined on a dual-registration basis from National League South Braintree.

Folkestone host sixth-placed Lewes this Saturday in a potentially pivotal race for a top-five finish but they say Gbode, Giles and Mbonkwi will only join up with the squad in time for their trip to Horsham on Tuesday.

Invicta announced the signings hours after the Isthmian League deadline on Thursday with Jordan Wright (fractured tibia and fibula), Ade Yusuff (hamstring) and Ian Draycott (broken wrist) all sidelined.

To make matters worse, Dartford loanee Luke Wanadio came off in their 5-0 Velocity Trophy semi-final loss at Horsham on Tuesday, too.

Gbode found himself thrust into the first-team in November, aged only 16, making three substitute appearances, with two of those matches being in League 1, before he joined Margate for a month at the start of last month.

Gale played for the Gills in pre-season and has since had a spell in the Southern Counties East Premier Division with Lordswood.

Full-back Giles joined Isthmian South East Faversham for a month but, with the Lilywhites only playing three times in February in total, he only started twice before he returned to Priestfield.

Mbonkwi has played out in Norway and has featured for Hungerford as well as Braintree.

Folkestone have also brought teenage striker Tyler Sterling back from Hythe and under-18s forward Lloyd Boateng has signed first-team forms with the club.

Invicta are fifth in the table, with only seven matches to play.