MARK Molesley says playing in a cup final will be a “great experience” for Cherries' youngsters.

Cherries under-21s head to Meadow Lane tomorrow (1pm) to take on Notts County, battling to win the Central League Cup.

Molesley, who serves as assistant to u21s boss Shaun Cooper, has helped oversee victories against Shrewsbury, Portsmouth and Southend to reach the final.

Notts County are expected to name some experienced first-team fringe players in their side for the clash with Cherries, as Pompey did when they beat Cooper’s charges 3-0 in a friendly at Canford Arena last week.

And Molesley believes that outing will help for the trip to the Midlands.

He told the Daily Echo: “Portsmouth was a good game, especially with our cup final up against Notts County.

“It was a good dress rehearsal for that because we expect Notts County to be similar with a lot of first-team experience in their team.

“Our lads are almost on the first rung of the ladder, learning their trade.

“It’s a cup final, on a first-team pitch and it’s going to be a great experience for them. That’s what we want.

“We want to give these lads as many experiences as we can.

“That’s how you learn.”