KEVIN Amankwaah claims he was subjected to “racial and physical” abuse by Millwall’s Neil Harris, as the Town defender believes he has been made a “scapegoat” in the continuing war of the words with the Lions striker.

The Swindon Advertiser also understands Town have been analysing video footage of the incident, over claims that Harris attempted to bite Amankwaah’s nose.

The pair clashed midway through the second half of Saturday’s heated 1-1 draw at the County Ground, with Harris alleging Amankwaah mocked his successful fight against cancer eight years ago, for which he had a testicle removed during treatment.

Despite initially denying he had made the jibe, Amankwaah publicly said sorry to Harris on Monday but feels he is also owed an apology for the provocation which caused his reaction.

In a club statement, the full-back said: “I had hoped that my statement would have brought closure to this regrettable situation but now it would appear that I am being held up as the scapegoat.

“Therefore I feel compelled to make people aware of the racial and physical abuse that I received on the day, which included passing comment on my origins and physical assault - both of which were totally unacceptable.

“My comments may have been misplaced but equally racial and physical abuse has no place in football. I have held my hands up and apologised for what I said, but now I think it would be appropriate if others did the same.”

Town manager Danny Wilson revealed Amankwaah would not face internal disciplinary action for the weekend’s clash, and FROM BACK PAGE explained the club’s reasoning behind releasing the information.

“We wanted to give Kevin’s side of things because there have been one or two reports in the national newspapers which are completely untrue,” he said.

“We are very disappointed with them and have been forced into doing something we hoped we wouldn’t have to have done. It’s his side of the story and one that is well worth listening to.

“We feel that Kevin has bore a lot of this incident on his own shoulders, and from his point of view he’s been very diplomatic in what he’s done.

“He’s offered an apology but still there’s things being written which aren’t true, so he has to put across his side of the story. We back him to the hilt.”

National reports yesterday claimed Amankwaah was forced to issue an apology by his teammates, but that has been dismissed by a dressing room insider at the County Ground.

The player told the Advertiser: “That’s rubbish. No-one forced Kev to do anything. We are all completely behind him because there are two sides to every story.”

Last night, Millwall front man Harris refuted the allegations.

He said: “I am both angry and upset that Kevin Amankwaah, after seemingly offering an apology for his insulting remarks towards me on Saturday which I had accepted, should now decide to try and justify himself.

“I can categorically state that Amankwaah’s insult was not in response to any racial comment and his accusations of verbal and physical abuse are frankly laughable. Passions were inflamed following an incident during the game and there was a bit of pushing and shoving, nothing more.

“It is demeaning to get into a public ‘who said what to whom’ argument. I am comfortable that I have nothing to reproach myself for."