Oxford United believe they were given a fair hearing after receiving a £500 fine, suspended for two years, by the Football Association for failing to control players and officials at the Kassam Stadium in the final game of last season.

They had pleaded guilty to an FA charge following the melee at the end of the Blue Square Premier match which Northwich Victoria won 2-1.

The U's were 1-0 down near the end of the second half when four fans left the Oxford Mail stand and raced the length of the pitch.

Two of those scaled the fence at the car park end of the stadium before stewards could grab them.

When the game restarted, United immediately equalised, sparking a second invasion by a much larger group.

One ran towards Vics captain Simon Grand flourishing a flag.

Northwich manager Andy Preece then waved his team off the pitch, leading to furious scenes on the touchline between both sets of players, staff and substitutes.

At FA headquarters in Soho Square, London, Oxford United were handed the fine, suspended for two years, and it's understood Northwich received the same punishment.

Northwich had pleaded not guilty to breaking FA Rule E20A – "failing to ensure that players and/or officials conduct themselves in an orderly fashion".

But football's governing body believe Vics' bid to leave the pitch following the pitch invasion made the melee that followed even worse.

Preece himself had maintained he feared for the safety of his players.

"I think people were confused because they thought I wanted the match stopped – that's not the case at all," Preece said at the time.

"I'd have gained nothing from doing that with seven minutes to go.- I just wanted the lads to avoid getting involved in anything unsavoury."

United said in a statement last night: "The club accepts both responsibility in this matter and the punishment received."

Chairman Kelvin Thomas said: "I think it was a fair hearing. The FA panel took into consideration the mitigating factors we put forward."

He would not elaborate, but the highly-charged nature of the occasion – United were still hanging onto hope of reaching the play-offs in front of a 10,000-plus crowd – and Preece's own behaviour, which United's players felt was inflammatory, are likely to have been among them.