Nottingham Forest head into 2014 well placed to mount their assault on the Championship automatic promotion places.

The Tricky Trees are fifth in the table following a productive festive period and are promising to utilise owner Fawaz Al Hasawi's vast financial resources in January to help Billy Davies's cause.

Here, Sports Mole looks back on how the East Midlands outfit fared in the first half of a season in which they are attempting to return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999.

August

Things couldn't have started much better for the Reds, who reeled off four successive wins across two competitions at the beginning of the season, with Henri Lansbury scoring the only goal in an opening-day victory over Huddersfield Town.

League Two Hartlepool Town proved an easy obstacle to overcome in the Capital One Cup first round, and a strike from Darius Henderson seven minutes into stoppage time at Ewood Park earned Forest a 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers following a vintage Davies away display.

They were more convincing in a 3-0 stroll over Bolton Wanderers in which new signing Jamie Mackie, part of their £7m summer investment, scored his first goal for the club, but a stunner from former favourite Lewis McGugan ended their perfect streak as Watford came from behind to earn a 1-1 draw.

It was also honours even after 90 minutes in their League Cup second-round tie with Millwall before teenage defender Jamaal Lascelles netted the winner in extra time, and a first loss of the campaign away at Wigan Athletic prevented Forest from going level at the top of the table.

September

More late exploits from Henderson snatched them a 3-2 win over Barnsley and the experienced striker netted again as four goals were shared equally when Middlesbrough visited the City Ground, and another 2-2 draw followed when Andy Reid scored his fourth of the campaign as they twice came from behind to deny Doncaster Rovers.

Another man among the goals early season was Matt Derbyshire, but his effort was in vain as Forest's cup run was ended by high-flying Burnley, but any disappointment from that result was soon forgotten when they picked up a huge win over fierce rivals Derby County courtesy of a header from Hull City loanee Jack Hobbs.

October

That was their last home win for three months, but things continued to go swimmingly on the road for Davies as Lansbury netted a brace in a 3-1 success at Brighton & Hove Albion, four days after they had picked up a useful point at Charlton Athletic.

Having prospered from them several times, late goals turned against the Reds as they conceded in the 90th minute in a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth and they then became Yeovil Town's first Championship scalp as a maiden Forest goal for highly-rated Chelsea midfielder Nathaniel Chalobah came in a 3-1 losing effort.

November

Their home fans were once more frustrated by a last-minute strike against them as Blackpool left Nottingham with three points. Again, their moods were boosted as they claimed further East Midlands bragging rights with an impressive 2-0 win at Leicester City.

A dominating performance against league leaders Burnley was rewarded with only a point as the Tricky Trees remained eight points off the pace, and a slow start versus Reading cost them dearly as two goals in the opening 13 minutes helped the Royals to a 3-2 triumph.

December

An unbeaten December which saw them close the gap on their promotion rivals started with a 2-2 draw at Millwall, where Reid and Chalobah were on the scoresheet, while Simon Cox's fourth goal in five games was enough for them to down Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.

However, an injury to the former West Bromwich Albion striker, and then a suspension to Henderson, who was sent off in a goalless draw with Birmingham City, left Forest short up front and their lack of strength in depth in the striking department was exploited as both the Blues and Ipswich Town held them to stalemates.

Davies pulled off a masterstroke by using Greg Halford as a makeshift frontman and the versatile right-back headed in the first in a 2-0 win over Queens Park Rangers and he scored again in a 2-1 victory over Leeds United in which Derbyshire smashed in a late winner 60 seconds after the Reds had been pegged back.

Those two wins saw Forest climb to fifth in the table, five points adrift of the automatic promotion places, and with additions likely to arrive in January and key defender Kelvin Wilson nearing a return to fitness, that deficit could soon be cut.