VIMAL Yoganathan may be missing from Barnsley's line-up at Stevenage tonight due to suspension – but his better side has helped to inspire young Reds team-mate Leo Farrell in a more positive fashion this season.

The Halifax lad scored his first goal for the club in dramatic fashion, after coming on as a late substitute against Bradford City on Saturday to earn the 10-man hosts a derby point deep in stoppage time.

Farrell is hoping it proves the precursor to a first league start of his Reds career after being called back from a loan spell at National League promotion chasers Scunthorpe United late last month.

The striker joined the Iron on an initial 28-month loan at the end of February and scored four goals in seven games before being recalled.

Missing: Barnsley's Vimal Yoganathan (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

placeholder image — Missing: Barnsley's Vimal Yoganathan (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe)

Farrell, 20, made the most of his time at Scunthorpe, just as Yoganathan did in his temporary spell at another high-flying fifth-tier side in Oldham Athletic in the second half of last term. He helped the Latics clinch promotion back to the EFL.

On his time with the Iron, Farrell said: "It was brilliant. I think the bit that made it better as well was where they were in the league pushing for play-offs, playing attacking football and scoring a lot of goals and I think that for me was the best thing about it.

"I was always in and around the box and scoring goals, so it definitely helped me a lot.

"Vimal was at National League last year and got promoted and then he kicked on, so I think when they said I could go out and loan in a National League team, looking at it I thought: 'Vimal did it, why can't I?'."

On pushing for his maiden league start for Barnsley, he has been at the Oakwell club since the age of 10, the 20-year-old continued: "I think that's the main one at the minute, just getting that first Barnsley start under my belt and then just keep building from there going into next season.

"I've struggled a lot with injuries the past two years.

"I've had a lot of hamstring issues. So going into this season, I spoke to the academy manager and it was: 'how many games can we get into you'. And this season, I've stayed fit, so everything else is just a massive bonus.

"I think I'm a lot more interested in stuff away from football now, in what I do to keep my body right. And then there's sports science stuff which has worked for me as well in terms of my loading, they're always watching it and stuff like that."