WITH Millwall enjoying back-to-back wins over two of the top sides in the division, DANIEL GRIGG considers whether a late surge to the play-offs could still be on the cards for the Lions.

TWO outstanding victories in a matter of days have ensured the whole division is now sitting up and starting to take notice of the superb job Kenny Jackett has doing as Millwall manager.

Those expecting the Lions to play out the season in mid-table just happy to have avoided relegation in the first season back in the Championship have been given a very rude awakening.

If anything, the 2-0 home win over QPR now looks the less surprising result than Saturday’s 3-0 success at Turf Moor.

A predictably vociferous Den crowd made life hard for Neil Warnock’s high-flying Hoops team, who can occasionally struggle when Adel Taarabt isn’t firing on all cylinders.

Only the fourth away win in 19 league matches was a greater surprise on Saturday, particularly as it came so convincingly and with such apparent ease thanks to two headers from Paul Robinson and a neat finish from Andros Townsend.

The 3-0 success brought back memories of the first match of the season at Bristol City when David James was unable to stop captain Robinson getting a goal.

Victory in Lancashire proves promotion is still an outside possibility, with just seven points now separating the Lions from Nottingham Forest in sixth place.

This is very satisfying for Jackett, who again got to sit and watch from the sidelines as yet another of his new loan signings made a great impact.

Millwall would have won regardless of Townsend‘s late third goal but to have a youngster playing with confidence is critically important for a team still needing an amazing run of wins until the end of the season to claw their way into the play-offs.

With Townsend and James Henry on either wing, chances will be created for top scorer Steve Morison and players coming up from corners like Robinson, whose opener against Burnley came from an in-swinging Townsend corner. It’s a sign of the improved quality of Millwall’s squad under their manager that the quality of players they’re loaning in from Spurs has improved, from a reasonable League One goal scorer like Jonathan Obika to a top Championship performer like Townsend.

Still only a teenager, Townsend looks a player on the verge of regular Premier League football, but will the Lions be joining him there?

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