PAOLO Di Canio has urged fans to ‘stay together and not lose the passion’ as Swindon enter the crucial end-of-season push to secure promotion back to League One.

Town travel to Barnet tonight where a win would extend their lead at the top of League Two to five points.

The Robins dropped points at home for the first time this year on Saturday as Bristol Rovers held Di Canio’s men to a goalless draw at the County Ground.

The Italian had been disappointed to hear some fans boo his decision to replace Alan Connell with Paul Benson midway through the second-half of that game, and the 43-year-old was keen to stress that now, more than ever, is the time to stay united.

“I say stay together, don’t lose the passion,” said Di Canio. “At the end we will see, but now don’t boo for silly reason.

“We have a group of players and every one of them deserves to play. If you have a preference for one you cannot break the atmosphere for this. Every fan all around the world have their favourite player, but we saw Matt Ritchie go off the pitch on Saturday, struggling with his ankle.

“He is the best player of the season yet only gets some clapping.

“So I ask the fans, stay more together and think that every player who goes onto the pitch is important, like Lionel Messi.

“They should help the players who remain on the field, even if I make the wrong choice, clap for the player who goes on and at the end boo maybe.

“Now is not the moment for any silly behaviour from the players, from the manager and also from the fans.”

Whatever happens in the coming weeks, Di Canio was keen to highlight that it has already been ‘a special’ season and one that the players should be congratulated for.

“We have done something this season that no one club has done in Europe,” he added.

“We started near the bottom but now we are at the top.

“We got to the JPT final and the fourth round of the FA Cup and we beat five teams in leagues above us this season, it has been a special season.

“The players have made a fantastic season already so it is not the time to break this for a stupid reason of one change.

“Be passionate and stick together and at the end maybe question my decisions.

“I have after this year another year and I want to win, then we will see what is going on, but stay together because everything that happens between now and the end of the season counts towards my decision.”