Vale 'only heading one way' if no improvement - Clark

Mitch Clark signed for Port Vale permanently ahead of the 2023-24 season after loans spells in 2018-19, 2020 and 2021

Port Vale wing-back Mitch Clark says Saturday's opening-day defeat in League One showed them another relegation fight beckons if they carry on producing performances like their first-half display against Rotherham.

Vale's first game back in the third tier after last season's promotion got off to a difficult start as they found themselves 2-0 down after 29 minutes and then reduced to 10 men three minutes later when Jaheim Headley was sent off for a bad challenge.

Clark's cross was tucked home by Connor Hall to pull a goal back on the hour, as Vale improved following a triple substitution at half-time.

Despite their rally, Vale could not find an equaliser, and Clark, who experienced relegation from League One two seasons ago, said that the first 45 minutes were a sobering reminder of the standards in the division.

"Yeah, 100%," he told BBC Radio Stoke.

"If people weren't used to League One, they've certainly seen it in that first half. We can't do that again. We have to make the second half last 90 minutes.

"You can't be performing like that in the first 45 minutes - we know if we perform like that there's only one place we're going, and we don't want that to happen.

"We want to be as high in the table as possible."

'It's about proving I can play at this level'

Vale have an early chance to put the weekend disappointment behind them with their first home game of the season on Thursday against Cardiff City.

"We can only take positives from that second half and show that on Thursday," he said.

"We assessed the game [Rotherham] on Monday and everyone knows what we have to do to be better."

Clark, 26, signed a new one-year contract with Vale in June and was given the chance to stake his claim for the right wing-back slot against the Millers with Kyle John on the bench and summer signing Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel unavailable.

"At the end of the day we all want to be playing - it's part and parcel of football," said Clark, who is in his fourth stint with the club after three previous loan spells.

"It's about competing with each other in the right way and getting the best out of each other.

"I always wanted to re-sign no matter what the options were. It was my number-one priority. I've been here for a long time now, over different spells."

Clark said he has spent pre-season "thinking a lot about" adding more of an attacking threat to his game.

"I was getting into the right position, but I wasn't contributing goals and assists [last season], so that's something I've been thinking about a lot this season.

"Even with Jordan coming in, I still feel like I've got a lot to offer.

"It's now about proving to people I am capable of playing at this level."