Millwall manager says 'I don't see the point' in stopping football matches for racism and 'killing momentum' - after his team lost while fans chanted amid 'racist chanting' at a South Korean star

Millwall manager Alex Neil has bemoaned a lengthy stoppage of play due to an incident of alleged racism for 'killing' his team's momentum during their 1-0 defeat by Swansea City.

Referee Edward Duckworth paused Tuesday night's game on the 65th minute mark after Swansea's South Korean star Eom Ji-sung was allegedly racially abused during the Championship contest at The Den. 

The 24-year-old winger was warming up in the second half as a substitute for the Swans when the alleged incident happened.

The game was stopped for about seven minutes as the referee spoke to both coaches, followed by an announcement over the loud speakers at The Den stadium in southeast London.

The announcement said there were alleged chants of racism and that police were scouring CCTV to identify who was responsible, the BBC said.

The visitors struck late through Ronald in the 90th minute to take all three points, but Millwall boss Neil said the delay stunted his team's progress at a crucial time. 

'I understand there's been an incident,' he said. 'It's not something I'm going to get involved in. That'll be for the authorities to deal with.

'But the fact that it stops the game for 15 minutes, I just don't see the point.

'It needs to get dealt with, absolutely, but stopping the game doesn't deal with anything. All it does it kill the momentum. 

'Listen, if we score I probably don't feel this way, but that's how I feel just now.' 

He later added during his press conference: 'What happens is the stoppage is because the referee needs to speak to the safety officer. The safety officer, if he comes down within one minute, the game will start in one minute. If he comes down after half an hour, the game starts in half an hour. That's why the stoppage was as long as it was, which is a shame because you're not going to deal with that moment, however disappointing it is, and it is unacceptable. Nothing gets solved then.

'It's been reported. The fourth official knows about it. All the people involved know about it. That can get dealt with at a better time. I just don't understand the point in stopping the game for so long at that stage.'

Swansea said Eom, who recently won Asian Games gold with South Korea and played for his country at the World Cup, was the victim.

'As a club we condemn racism and discrimination in all forms, and there is no place for such behaviour in football or in society,' the Wales-based team said in a statement.

'The club wants to place on record its thanks for the swift and decisive manner in which the match officials, Millwall Football Club and the police dealt with the incident.'

Swansea, who top the Championship, added: 'We stand with Ji-sung and he has our unstinting love and support.'

Millwall said it was 'aware of an alleged, individual incident of discriminatory abuse towards a Swansea City player'.

'The club operates a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discriminatory abuse,' it said in a statement.

'Any individual found to have engaged in such behaviour will face the strongest possible action.'

A police investigation was under way, the club said.