JOHN McGreal has called on Colchester United fans to unite behind the club and help them finish the League Two campaign on a high.

McGreal’s plea comes after a small minority of U’s fans chanted against chairman Robbie Cowling in the first half of their 1-0 win at Stevenage, last weekend.

The unrest at the Lamex Stadium has prompted Cowling to threaten to ban for life any Colchester supporters who cross the line with personal abuse, in future.

The U’s supremo was commenting at the club’s annual fans’ forum, held at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday night.

Colchester are back in home action tomorrow when they host league leaders Luton Town, with a crowd of more than 5,000 expected at the Community Stadium.

And in the wake of the unrest last weekend, U’s head coach McGreal wants everyone to get together and get behind the club.

McGreal said: “With this little bit of a divide at the moment, with what happened at Stevenage with a random few, it would be great if we got everyone together singing off the same hymn sheet.

“We want to bring a unity, with the fans, the club and the players all back together again.

“It’s only one or two (supporters) who are just getting broken off a bit at the moment but I’m sure they’ll get pushed to the side by the main supporter base.

“We’ve been in and around it – I know the last couple of home games have seen us come away from (the play-off positions) as such but we’ve still got seven games to play.”

McGreal says his players have acknowledged to him how big a boost it is to have the U’s fans right behind them, in games.

“There’s nothing better – whether you’re at home or away – than having the full backing of the supporters, because they do make some noise,” said the U’s head coach.

“The other managers do say when they come in after a game that they make a lot of noise, even with the smaller crowds that we have.

“If we can get that South Stand bouncing come Friday, they do make a lot of noise and that’s what we’ll be trying to do.

“The players definitely notice the difference between the last couple of home games where things haven’t gone quite as well as we’d have liked and you can hear one or two noises coming out and when things go well, it definitely rubs off on other people.

“Some people who you might not think would be up off their seats are singing and dancing for the team!

“That’s what we’re trying to get to.

“I’ve had a fantastic relationship with the fans and I want that to continue.”