Two Oxford United fans have been banned from all football games for three years including the World Cup after trouble flared at the U's final league match.

Richard Mellis and Stewart Gallagher were at Oxford Magistrates' Court yesterday and admitted invading the pitch during the crucial game against Leyton Orient at the Kassam Stadium on May 6.

Mellis, 37, of Forest Hill, Oxford, and Gallagher, 32, of Edwin Road, Didcot, were given a banning order under the Football Disorder Act 2000.

The three-year restriction prevents them from attending any matches played by Premiership, Football League, or Conference clubs in England and Wales, as well as those abroad.

Leyton Orient fans Philip Saward, Michael Baylis, and U's fans Paul Nesbit and Stephen Rahill, also admitted invading the pitch.

But to the disappointment of Oxford United, these four were not given match bans.

Caroline Hitchcock, prosecuting, said trouble flared in the final minutes of the nailbiting 3-2 defeat, which saw United relegated to the Conference.

She said Mellis ran on to the pitch 20 minutes before the end of the match to see a friend in the Leyton Orient section whom he had been texting.

Gallagher had to be restrained by stewards on the pitch at 5.10pm, and was arrested after a struggle.

The court was told that computer analyst Gallagher had a previous conviction for a football related matter in 1994 in Chester.

The fan, who has supported the U's for 20 years, apologised and said: "I didn't know what was happening. I didn't even realise I was on the pitch."

District Judge Brian Loosley told the men: "Tensions were running high at the end of the match.

"People probably acted out of character in a way they would not have done. For those reasons I will deal leniently with you."

Pc Tom Coyne, football liaison officer, said that if the other men reoffended, the police would pursue a banning order via the courts or a civil action.

But Oxford United club secretary Mick Brown said: "The club is very disappointed that the courts have not chosen to ban all the men who were found guilty of going on the pitch. They admitted the same offence so in our eyes should receive the same punishment."

Mr Brown said there would be no point in Oxford United banning the Leyton Orient fans as they would not be playing against United in the near future, but said the club would consider banning the other U's fans once they had heard all the facts of the case.