SHRIMPERS midfielder Alan McCormack has called on the club's supporters to turn their jeers into cheers, starting with tomorrow's FA Cup clash at Oxford United.

Sections of Southend's following have become frustrated by their side's recent poor run of form, which has seen them win just one of their last four matches.

And McCormack is urging the fans to back and not attack his team-mates.

"We really need the supporters to get behind us when things aren't going well," the Irishman told the Echo.

"We don't deliberately go out to play badly and everyone is giving their all, so the abuse that has been coming our way has been disappointing.

"It's hard not to hear it at times and I'm sure the people doing it wouldn't say it to their children, so why say it to us?

"The comments don't help anyone and when it's not going well we need people behind us, so hopefully that can happen from tomorrow because it's the start of a big week for us."

After tomorrow's trip to the Kassam Stadium in the second round of the cup, Blues face two home League One games in quick succession as Huddersfield Town visit Roots Hall on Wednesday and Swindon Town arrive on Saturday.

"It would be great if we could go into the league games with a win behind us," said McCormack, 23.

"They are three big games in a short space of time, but if we can win the first then it will really lift everyone.

"When you win then the next game can't come quick enough and that's the kind of momentum we need to get going again because we certainly have the quality in our side to do it."

Despite that the tough-tackler is taking nothing for granted this weekend and knows it will be a tricky test for Steve Tilson's side against the non-leaguers.

"We need to approach the game in the right frame of mind and we will," he said.

"They are a strong side and we know that upsets can happen in this competition.

"But if we can get back to our best then we will win and that's certainly what we're aiming for.

"It was disappointing at Luton last weekend but that's done and dusted now. We were without four key players and now we need to look forward, not back."