Following their promotion to the Championship in 2009-10, Millwall were among the immediate favourites for relegation.

Returning to the division after a four-year absence, Kenny Jackett and company overcame the odds to achieve a ninth-place finish as the club kept their playoff prospects alive until the penultimate game of the season.

With the first half of their following campaign now behind us, Sports Mole takes at look back how the club have fared in their second go around so far.

August

Despite back-to-back road games to open the season, the Lions were able to return to the Den undefeated. Dan N'Guessan bagged a winner at Home Park after Reading grabbed two late goals to earn a draw at the Madejski on opening weekend.

Victories over Nottingham Forest and Morecambe in the cup were overshadowed, though, when visiting Peterborough came from two goals behind to take a point.

Meanwhile, a goalless tie at home against Keith Hill's Reds wrapped up the first month of the season in which league leaders Southampton were the one side to take maximum points from the London club.

September

A testing September schedule saw Millwall visit four of their five opponents and host one game, against West Ham.

While holding their local rivals at home, the Lions went on to lose all four games on the road – three of which were in the league – and crashed out of the Carling Cup after a 5-0 annihilation at Wolves.

In total, the club conceded 13 goals and scored just once in the second month of the season, which left them in the drop zone.

October

Continuing their seven-game run without a win against the Clarets, the Lions lost their fourth in a row and fifth in seven.

Consecutive 1-1 draws at second-place Middlesbrough and against Brighton meant Millwall had picked up four points and scored just three goals in two months of action.

However, a Darius Henderson hattrick at Leicester's King Power Stadium and a 4-1 win over Ipswich at home was enough to fire Millwall out of the relegation zone and over five other clubs.

November

The Lions secured their third consecutive three-goal triumph over the Sky Blues and soared up the table, landing just a six-point swing from the playoff spots.

However, back-to-back defeats at Blackpool and against Bristol City sent the Lions tumbling back down the table, two points adrift of the drop zone.

Even so, a point apiece at high-flying Crystal Palace, prior to three points against bottom-of-the-league Doncaster at the Den drove the club back to the top of the bottom third.

December

Damage following losses at Leeds and Hull and at home to Palace was reduced due to outside results, with the teams beneath the Lions struggling to pick up points themselves.

A point at home against fourth-placed Cardiff and a late N'Guessan goal versus Portsmouth at Christmas created a five-point gap – despite a two-space difference – from the drop.