Millwall's European adventure was brought to an end in Budapest last night, Dennis Wise's team knocked out of the UEFA Cup by Ferencvaros on a day scarred by violence and potential tragedy as a fan was reported to have suffered life-threatening injuries before the game.
Ferencvaros' first-half performance was enough to finish off Millwall as Denes Rosa, Sorin Botis and Robert Vagner put the Hungarian champions three goals up inside 40 minutes.
Millwall rallied through Wise in first-half stoppage time but they had no answer to the superior skill and movement of their hosts.
As many had suspected, Ferencvaros were far more threatening and purposeful than they had been at The New Den, and the south London team's defence was often exposed by the home side's imagination going forward.
The main talking point from this first-round, second leg encounter will remain the build-up to a match marred seriously by violence.
As many as 600 Millwall fans were believed to have arrived in Budapest without the tickets issued through the club's membership scheme. There were skirmishes a full one-and-a-half hours before kick-off, with stewards clashing with a small number of supporters, who were immediately ejected.
This followed the events of late afternoon in central Budapest, when police were called to curtail running battles around the area of Vorosmarty Ter square.
Nine Millwall followers were believed to have been arrested, following the two arrested on Wednesday outside a restaurant.
There were also clashes at two nearby underground stations, Ferenciek tere and Nepliget.
There was also a considerable police presence outside the ground, with some officers carrying CS gas canisters and riot shields and mounted police also deployed.
When the football finally began, the visitors survived a major scare on the sixth minute. Darren Ward lost the ball to Peter Lipscei, who slipped it outside him to Rosa and Graham Stack was required to make a fine point-blank stop.
Just when it appeared that Millwall had settled into their stride, Ferencvaros took the lead.
Vagner crossed from the left and Rosa, whose run from midfield had gone unnoticed, found himself alone eight yards out and had the easy task of heading past Stack in the 26th minute.
Four minutes later, Ferencvaros took control of the tie with a controversial second.
Defender Botis' header from Rosa's deep cross hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down onto the line and the linesman awarded a goal although the issue was far from clear-cut.
And the home side all but ended Millwall's European campaign with a third just before half-time, Vagner's shot from the edge of the area deflecting off Ward to leave Stack with no chance.
But Millwall did get on the scoresheet shortly before the break. Morris set up Livermore inside the area, and his shot was deflected into the path of Wise, who clipped the ball over Szucs.
FERENCVAROS: Szucs, Vukmir, Gyepes, Botis, Balog, Rosa, Zovath, Tozser (Leandro 63), Lipcsei, Vagner (Sowunmi 87), Penksa (Bajevski 71). Subs Not Used: Udvaracz, Kiss, Zavadszky, Sasu. Booked: Rosa, Vukmir, Botis, Bajevski. Goals: Rosa 26, Botis 31, Vagner 40.
MILLWALL: Stack, Lawrence, Muscat, Ward, Simpson (Sweeney 61), Elliott, Wise, Morris, Livermore, Ifill, Harris (Cogan 69). Subs Not Used: Marshall, McCammon, Dunne, Phillips.Booked: Harris. Goals: Wise 45.
Referee: E Braanhar (Netherlands).
