YORK City have been rocked by a £2,000 fine from the Football Association for their part in the mass brawl which took place at the end of the Woking match at KitKat Crescent in December.

The fine, which the Minstermen have been given just two weeks to pay, has been handed to the club after they admitted a charge of failing to control their players in a melee during the 1-0 defeat.

The club today said they felt the punishment was "very harsh" and added it would put "enormous pressure on finances".

The Minstermen are also outraged by the punishments handed out to James Dudgeon and Nathan Peat, who were both sent off during the festive "Friday fight night".

Dudgeon, found guilty of improper conduct, has been fined £200 and banned for an extra three matches starting on March 26 - ruling him out of the clashes with Stevenage, Gravesend and Burton Albion, while Peat, found guilty of violent conduct, has been fined £200 and will also miss the Stevenage and Gravesend games after picking up an extra two-game ban.

The bans are on top of the three-game suspensions both players have already served as a result of their Woking red cards.

The Press reported in January how City admitted the charge of failing to control their players - a breach of the FA's E20 (a) rule which says clubs must ensure their players and staff conduct themselves in an orderly fashion on the pitch.

The chaos at the game, on Friday, December 29, began when City substitute Dudgeon, warming up on the touchline, stepped in as a peacemaker after Neal Bishop and Woking left-back Danny Bunce tangled in stoppage-time.

Woking assistant manager Matt Crossley then confronted Dudgeon 20 yards from the visitors' bench before allegedly head-butting the York defender.

The two were then part of a brawl involving players from both benches and including Peat who, allegedly, threw a flurry of punches. When the fight broke up, Peat, Dudgeon and Crossley were all dismissed.

For their part in the fracas, Woking have also been fined £2,000 by the FA, while Crossley has been banned from the touchline for three games and fined £300.

But the result has left a bitter taste in City's mouth.

Communications and Community director Sophie McGill said: "We are devastated to receive the news from the FA that York City Football Club has been fined £2,000 for the incident which took place at the Woking game.

"As we have stated before, we believe this incident was entirely provoked by the Woking coach and therefore the punishment seems very harsh. We have been informed the fine must be paid in two weeks, which also puts enormous pressure on the club's finances.

"From a football perspective, to lose two first team players for two and three key games when we are pushing for a play-off place is a major blow. I know Billy McEwan is very upset and collectively, we all feel the club has been treated very unfairly."

Phil Ledger, Woking's football director, said: "We pleaded guilty. It was wrong. It shouldn't have happened but people do lose their tempers and you can understand why in some respects. We have got no hard feelings towards York. I would like to point out they acted in a proper manner afterwards."