RYAN Lowe netted his 200th career goal as Bury were defeated 3-1 in a tasty clash with Millwall at Gigg Lane.

Violence marred the start of the match as both sets of supporters clashed inside the ground.

But when the game got underway Chris Taylor scored directly from a corner before setting up Steve Morison for the Lions' second midway through the first half.

Fans' favourite Lowe pulled one back on the stroke of half time but Taylor netted his second six minutes from time to wrap up the three points for the visitors.

Leon Clarke was absent as David Flitcroft made three changes from the midweek defeat to Scunthorpe.

Kelvin Etuhu was suspended following his red card at Glanford Park on Tuesday, whilst Dan Gardner returned to parent club Chesterfield after they activated his recall clause yesterday.

Danny Pugh returned to partner Tom Soares in central midfield and Tom Pope led the line alongside Lowe.

But there were distressing scenes as the teams emerged from the tunnel at the start of the game as both sets of supporters clashed in the ground which delayed the kick-off.

The stewards struggled to deal with the fighting as fans spilled onto the pitch and it took a couple of minutes for the police to enter the ground before eventually breaking the violence up – perhaps justifying Bury spending £20,000 on policing this encounter.

But when the football commenced the electric atmosphere was transferred to the pitch as Pope met Lowe's cross at the back post and crashed a looping header straight against the crossbar.

And in the fourth minute Chris Taylor curled the ball into the net directly from a corner to give the visitors an early lead.

Ben Thompson found space on the edge of the Shakers' before firing over and Peter Clarke cleared Taylor's shot off the line shortly after to deny the midfielder his second of the game.

Lowe was on the end of a couple of half chances as Bury attempted to get back into the game but he struggled to find a way past the impressive Jordan Archer in the Millwall goal.

And it was the Lions who were the next to strike as Taylor's back heel found Morison free on goal and the forward coolly slotted inside Chris Neal's near post.

Bury halved the deficit in first-half injury time when Lowe expertly converted John O'Sullivan's cross in off the underside of the crossbar to notch his 200th career goal.

The first chance of the second period fell to Aiden O'Brien but the Millwall forward lifted his effort over the crossbar from six yards.

Bury enjoyed more of the ball after the break but could not find a way past a resilient Millwall defence.

Morison broke through the Bury defence midway through the half but Neal produced an excellent save to deny the forward his second.

Sean Clare and Danny Rose were introduced for the Shakers and added some much needed creativity going forward.

The on-loan Sheffield Wednesday winger turned two players on the edge of the box before sending a stinging effort goalwards which brought the best out of Jordan Archer who turned it around the post.

Millwall should have extended their lead eight minutes from time when Morison's header was cleared off the line by Rose before Byron Webster nodded the rebound against the crossbar.

Two minutes later the visitors did have their second as Taylor drilled in his second of the game from the edge of the box to kill any hopes of a Bury comeback.