London  - A man was stabbed Tuesday as West Ham United's Carling Cup tie against Millwall was disrupted by violence.

Hundreds of fans clashed in Priory Road outside the ground, while play was held up by a pitch invasion after Junior Stanislas had scored a penalty to put West Ham up
2-1.

He also scored West Ham's equalizer with three minutes remaining, and there were suggestions his celebration may have been considered provocative.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police described the incident as "large-scale trouble involving hundreds of fans."

By the final whistle there had been five reported arrests.

John Whittingham, 35, a caretaker who lives near the ground, was quoted on Sky Sports News as saying: "There were lots of scuffles and fights before the game. I saw a couple of people with bloody faces.

"There was lots of shouting and a lot of bottles were thrown. People were throwing bricks, but I haven't got a clue where they were finding them. Some people were trying to rip bollards off the pavement. There were also some small fires lighted."

The two London clubs are notorious rivals, and both established reputations for hooliganism during the 1970s and '80s.

The trouble was widely anticipated, and a statue of former West Ham and England captain Bobby Moore, which stands outside the ground, was boarded up for fear it might be targeted by Millwall fans.

West Ham came from behind to win the game 3-1.  (dpa)