CHERRIES under-18s defender Corey Jordan has avoided an extended spell on the sidelines after suffering a neck injury at AFC Portchester on Tuesday.

The friendly fixture was abandoned midway through the second half after the 15-year-old was hurt in an aerial clash.

Despite initial fears of serious damage, a trip to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth revealed the teenager had escaped with whiplash.

Jordan, who can play centre-half or right-back, is due to be reassessed today and it is hoped the problem will not keep him out for more than a week.

Cherries were 3-1 up at the time of the abandonment and academy manager Joe Roach was just pleased the youngster had avoided major injury.

Roach told the Daily Echo: “I think maybe Corey got a knock in the air and the impact on the ground made it worse.

"The main thing is that it’s not as serious as the physio first thought. It was a relief for us as he’s a player who has done really well.

“All our support staff reacted really well and Portchester were excellent – we were well-looked after. It was just a shame the game had to end like that.

“We did quite well during the match. With a mixed-age team, I’d like to think we portrayed ourselves in the right way.”