Manchester City were relieved not to win at Millwall on Tuesday night, after ugly violence involving the Millwall fans left the City players fearing for their lives.

Scary scenes took place during and after the 1-1 draw as Millwall fans invaded the pitch after Lee Bradbury scored an equaliser in injury time for Bermudian Shawn Goater's side. He had another chance after that to win the game, a chance City were probably happy to see missed.

City manager Joe Royle admitted it was frightening.

"If we had scored another goal in that atmosphere I don't think we would have got out alive,'' said Royle.

Goater echoed those feelings yesterday when he spoke of the horrifying experience.

"I would agree with that,'' said Goater. "He (Bradbury) had another chance at the end of the game and if he had scored that chance I honestly don't know how we would have gotten out of that ground.'' The Football Association will launch an investigation into the scenes at the New Den where hundreds of Millwall fans clashed with riot police. There were several pitch invasions during the game and Royle claims his players were spat at and threatened.

Trouble erupted in the second half when City's Tony Vaughan and Millwall's Paul Shaw were sent off, sparking an 18-player brawl.

During fighting, three dog handlers were attacked and one officer was taken to hospital with a broken arm after a rock was thrown at him.

Mobs of fans smashed car and shop windows and more than 2,500 travelling City fans were locked inside the ground for an hour after the match for their own safety. The Manchester City team bus had to be escorted out of the area and on to the motorway.

The scenes witnessed on Tuesday night are something Goater has come to expect at that ground as there were similiar scenes in February 1997 when he won there with Bristol City.

"That's Millwall for you,'' Manchester City's top scorer stated.

Goater said it got scary for the City players when they crowded round Bradbury to celebrate the equaliser and then saw about 100 fans running onto the field towards them.

"They wanted to come onto the field to fight us,'' said Goater.

Added Bradbury: "I was obviously pleased to score, but I was worried how the fans would react. It was intimidating out there, and the stewarts did not seem in total control. When the fans keep running on the pitch, it is bound to play on your mind.'' Eighteen Millwall fans were arrested. Chief Inspector Chris Miles from Lewisham Police, who was in charge of operations at the ground, said: "The violence was absolutely horrifying, the worst I've seen for a long time.

"We kept the City fans back in the ground for their own protection. I would say there were up to 300 fans involved, almost all Millwall supporters. And there were injuries to both police and fans.'' Royle was also appalled: "I cannot believe what I saw, it was a disgrace,'' he said.

"They must have changed the rules down in London. I didn't think fans were allowed on to the pitch to threaten my players.'' Goater says it is the worst ground he has played at.

"That experience with Bristol City was with Bristol City, but now it seems that any teams that goes to Millwall gets the same treatment. They took down the fences because of what happened at Hillsborough (fans crushed to death) and now the fans just run onto the pitch.''