UNDER-21 boss Mark Molesley is delighted to see a plethora of young Cherries stars gaining "great experience" out on loan – even thought it leaves him light on numbers for today's match with Peterborough.

Midfield pair Ben Whitfield and Matt Butcher featured in Yeovil Town's barmy 3-3 draw with Exeter City on Saturday, while Harry Cornick made his return to competitive action with a second-half outing for League One Gillingham against Peterborough.

And with the likes of Sam Matthews, who scored twice in loan club Eastleigh's victory at Torquay last week, also unavailable to him, Molesley is expecting to rely on a core of under-18 players for this afternoon's Central League contest (1pm, Canford Arena).

It is a far cry from the reverse fixture back in November, when a Cherries team that included a host of first-team performers romped to an 8-1 victory.

Molesley told the Daily Echo: "We will sit down and work out who is available and who needs a game.

"Our numbers have been slightly short on the training ground, which in terms of preparing for a match is not ideal.

"But it has been a good opportunity work individually, and in detail, with the players who are here."

Whitfield and Butcher were part of a Yeovil team that raced into a 3-0 second-half lead against Exeter, only to surrender their advantage in the game's closing minutes.

"That was great for them," said Molesley. "They got to play in a big game – a derby in League Two – in front of a big crowd and they will take a lot from it.

"They were both influential in the match. And hopefully they will learn about game management from what happened at the end – that is what they are out there for, to be put in those type of scenarios."

Molesley was also thrilled to see Cornick continue his return from the groin injury that struck him down at the start of October, and similarly pleased with the impact midfielder Matthews is making with Eastleigh in the unforgiving National League.

"Harry proved a point in our friendly against Sampdoria, he was itching to get out to Gillingham as soon as he could," continued Molesley.

"He played 45 minutes at the weekend and, by all accounts, did very well, so we are really pleased with him and hope he has a strong end to the season.

"Sam is very quick footed so he will always invite a tackle. Most of the time he rides them but unfortunately people will take him out. I have told him that will happen, because he is a good player and people will try to stop him any way they can.

"That is why he is out playing men’s football. They will try to rough him up and he has to learn to survive that.

"His two goals were a bonus but it is the other parts of his performance that have been impressing us, his work-rate and his desire to do some of the less glamorous sides of the game."