Millwall went into the 2012-13 season after finishing 16th in the Championship, with few expecting the Lions to set the league alight but not many predicting relegation.
Kenny Jackett decided not to make too many changes to his squad over the summer and indeed only Maik Taylor, in on a free transfer from Leeds United, was a regular face in the lineup during the first half of the season.
Experienced defensive pair Tony Craig and Scott Barron departed for Brentford, but they were deemed surplus to requirements at Millwall.
After the first half of the Championship season, Sports Mole takes a look at Millwall's progress so far.
August
August started with a disappointing elimination from the League Cup at home to League One side Crawley Town and they did not fare any better in the Championship with defeat at home to Blackpool.
Three days later they overcame Peterborough United at London Road 2-1 but lost to a second-half Miguel Llera double, going down 3-2 at Hillsborough.
September
Any Keogh struck twice in a 3-1 win over Middlesbrough on September 1, temporarily lifting the Lions up to seventh in the league, but they would plummet through the rest of the month.
A trip to Hull City ended in a heavy 4-1 defeat after the international break, and within another week there were a further two defeats. First Cardiff City won 2-0 at The Den and Brighton & Hove Albion also took maximum points away from Millwall.
A 93rd-minute Darius Henderson equaliser at Burnley in a 2-2 draw raised spirits slightly, but Millwall were now in the drop zone in 22nd.
October
That late equaliser at Turf Moor proved to be the inspiration for a lengthy unbeaten run for Millwall and it was followed a few days later with another credible away draw, Henderson again notching the goal in a 1-1 at Bristol City.
Henderson notched his fourth goal in three games with a brace in a 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers and after the two-week break the goals started to flow for the Lions.
They managed an excellent 2-2 draw at Selhurst Park after being 2-0 down before themselves throwing away a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 after a Marlon King hat-trick at Birmingham. Chris Wood scored a brace and notched his third goal for Millwall since arriving on loan in mid-September.
The month ended with a resounding 4-0 win over Huddersfield Town, Wood netting another brace, as the Lions lifted themselves to 15th in the league.
November
The unbeaten run continued through November as Millwall really started to hit their stride. A 4-1 demolition away to Nottingham Forest on Jackett's five-year anniversary was followed by a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Watford at Vicarage Road.
Millwall went on to win their remaining four games in November. They edged out Derby County and Leeds United 2-1 then 1-0 respectively before keeping two clean-sheets away from The Den in a 2-0 win at Blackburn Rovers and a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The unbeaten run was now 12 games and Millwall had long cleared themselves of the battle at the bottom as they finished the month in fifth place in the Championship.
December
The run would stretch for one more game, a 0-0 home draw against Charlton Athletic before it came to a crashing halt at Portman Road as Millwall were thrashed 3-0 by a resurgent Ipswich Town.
They responded a week later by beating Leicester City 1-0, before throwing away a Wood brace at The Amex to draw 2-2 with Brighton. The first half of their season would end disappointingly with a late defeat at home to Barnsley.
Despite the slight dip in form Millwall are surprise inclusions in the Championship playoff picture, currently sitting seventh.
Matt Domm
