Crystal Palace began the 2012-13 season targeting gradual improvement after a 17th-placed finish last term.

However, a mixture of excellent leadership and team spirit has seen Palace, under the stewardship of Dougie Freedman and Ian Holloway, spend the majority of the season in an unexpected high league position.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how the Eagles have progressed from a team expected to be fighting for their Championship survival to a side fighting for Premier League promotion.

August

Palace began the season losing by the odd goal in five to Watford before Bristol City comprehensively beat them 4-1 at Ashton Gate.

The Eagles' early-season misery was furthered when they lost 2-1 to Middlesbrough to leave them sitting at the bottom of the Championship table.

A disastrous month ended with their exit from the Capital One Cup after they were trounced 4-1 by League One side Preston North End.

September

Crystal Palace began to turn their fortunes around at the start of September as Glenn Murray scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

They made it successive wins when they saw off local rivals Charlton Athletic, before they were denied a third win in a row by Dexter Blackstock in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

A Murray hat-trick earned Palace a 3-2 victory over early pacesetters Cardiff City before they secured their fourth win in five games with a 1-0 victory at Bolton Wanderers.

October

Wilfried Zaha was attracting the attention of many of the Premier League's biggest clubs and he further enhanced his reputation with two superbly-taken goals in a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Zaha scored a second double in four days as Palace beat Burnley 4-3 before the Eagles drew 2-2 at home to Millwall.

Palace were rocked by the departure of manager Freedman to Bolton Wanderers but they managed to draw 1-1 with Barnsley at Oakwell.

Lennie Lawrence had taken over as caretaker manager and he guided Palace to an impressive 2-1 success away at Leicester City to take the club's unbeaten run to 10 games.

November

Holloway left Blackpool for Crystal Palace at the start of the month and his first game in charge saw his new side beat Blackburn Rovers 2-0.

Murray netted another hat-trick as Palace beat Ipswich 5-0 before two late goals saw the club come from behind to beat Peterborough United.

Murray scored two more goals in a 3-0 win over Derby County but Palace's 14-game unbeaten run came to an end when they lost 2-1 at Leeds United.

The Eagles played out a goalless draw with Hull City as they ended the month clear at the top of the table.

December

Crystal Palace began December with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion but a late Nouha Dicko goal saw Holloway's old club Blackpool earn a point at Selhurst Park.

Both Birmingham City and Huddersfield Town came from behind to draw with Palace that meant that the Selhurst Park club had let slip three leads go in a row.

Crystal Palace slipped to fourth place in the Championship table on Boxing Day after they lost 2-1 to promotion rivals Cardiff City.