This week could be a big one for Millwall.
After addressing the recent poor away form with a 2-1 win at Oldham, focus now turns to Thursday night and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Area Final first leg at home to Oxford United.
Earlier in the season, I saw it as a bit of a distraction from the league campaign. Now, as we approach the business end of the competition, I’ve finally jumped aboard the JPT bandwagon.
It's been 17 years since our last appearance at this stage of the football league trophy - then the Auto Windscreens Shield.
Since then, we've been fortunate enough to see the Lions at both old and new Wembley as well as the Millennium Stadium. Not bad for a small, third-tier club, eh?
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I've stated in a previous column that I'm not counting my chickens just yet. Make no mistake, Oxford will be a test.
Michael Appleton's team currently sit in the automatic promotion places in League Two and took the scalp of Premier League Swansea City in the FA Cup on Sunday.
In Kemar Roofe, they also possess a player highly sought after by a number of bigger clubs. And it wouldn’t be Millwall without a bit of a struggle against lower league opposition.
However, I don’t mean to do my own team a disservice.
On paper, you’d like to think the current squad have enough about them to get beyond a team from the league below.
I suggested last week that an attacking forward should be top of Neil Harris’s wish list during this transfer window - and he duly obliged by bringing Jed Wallace to the club on a month’s loan from Wolves.
Wallace caught the eye during his time down at Portsmouth before moving to the Midlands and hopefully he can recapture some of that form over the coming weeks.
Judging by reports, the youngster put in a decent shift for an hour at Boundary Park and supplied the cross which lead to Lee Gregory’s opening goal.
Harris has a good relationship with former manager, Kenny Jackett, having already borrowed George Saville earlier in the season.
Wallace is well thought of by his parent club and Jackett has clearly earmarked this spell as a chance for him to get some games under his belt. However, should the move go well, hopefully we get a chance to keep him until the end of the season.
Another welcome return is Shane Ferguson, who extended his loan by an extra fortnight.
Admittedly, this kind of contract is one you’d expect to be given to an office temp rather than a professional footballer, but I assume the club are trying to thrash out a deal with Newcastle to bring the Northern Irishman to the Den permanently.
Ferguson is a versatile player who brings a balance to the left side of midfield. Should he become a bona fide Millwall player, I hope he doesn’t develop a bout of lazyslouchitis, like many of his predecessors.
Thursday promises to be an open contest and one in which we need to take the initiative. It would be nice to take a comfortable lead back to the Kassam Stadium next month, but this is Millwall and nothing is ever straightforward.
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