THE last thing Ashley Giles wants is to be on the losing side again when it comes to a title-deciding final week involving Lancashire.

Red Rose cricket director and head coach Giles is desperate to end his first season in charge at Emirates Old Trafford on a high note by winning the LV= County Championship Division Two title.

It has already been an impressive 2015 for the county, with promotion sealed in the Championship to go with the NatWest T20 Blast title – Lancashire’s first piece of limited overs silverware since 1999.

But Giles is not satisfied. After leading the four-day division for the majority of the season, his side has relinquished control to Surrey by drawing their last two matches.

They have produced below-par performances against Kent away and Surrey at home, meaning an eight-point gap between second and first ahead of the last match of 2015, which starts today.

Lancashire face Essex at Chelmsford and Surrey host Northamptonshire at the Oval.

If Lancashire do not win, it almost certainly means former Warwickshire coach Giles will miss out on four-day silverware – again.

In 2011, when Lancashire won the First Division, Giles was the coach of Warwickshire, who were top of the table by three points going into the final round of matches.

Second-placed Lancashire were at Taunton playing Somerset and Warwickshire were at Hampshire, and a dramatic final day of the campaign saw Lancashire win and the Bears draw.

“There are a few memories of 2011,” said the former England left-arm spinner. “I am not sure how many points we were ahead at Warwickshire and ended up losing it.

“It is still there for us. But one thing we have to do is play better at Chelmsford. We have to be aggressive, and individuals have to put their hands up and put in performances.

“Every match we play, the players have to be up for it. The best teams win things and drive on to win the next thing.

“We have won the T20, we have won promotion, but we can't relax and slap ourselves on the back and say 'aren't we brilliant’. This is just a step in us improving and becoming the best team in the country.

“There are people fighting for their place in the side next year. People get opportunities, but they have to be good enough to take those opportunities too.

“If they are not, we will have to get someone else. It's simple.