Port Vale hoped to kick start their season with three points against Stockport County, but lost out to a single goal.
Manager Brian Horton made a couple of changes with the hope of seeing a difference from their recent poor performances.
Vale started brightly when a defence splitting pass came from Ian Armstrong found the feet of Brett Angell in the box. He looked certain to shoot but ruined the attack by passing the ball out of play.
But it was Stockport who took the lead in the 17th minute when Keith Briggs broke quickly and played a throughball to Luke Beckett who swept the ball underneath Mark Goodlad from ten yards.
Vale tried to reply in the 31st minute when a mazy run down the left from Armstrong saw him beat three Stockport players and strike a right-footed drive into the arms of Lee Jones from 18 yards.
The second half proved to be a scrappy affair with Vale desperately trying for an equalizer.
Goalscorer Beckett could have added a second in the 62nd minute when a poor challenge from Sam Collins allowed him to continue from the left but curled the ball of Goodlad's left post.
County applied pressure again in the 70th minute when a run down the right from Ali Gibb brought him to the edge of the Vale box where he powered a shot that skipped across the face of the goal.
Vale then through everything at County right to the death with Stephen McPhee and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson both going close but to no effect.
Vale manager, Brian Horton, said: "We are lacking that spark. We are huffing and puffing and the lads are giving everything.
"We just need that little bit of luck, we aren't as bad as the results show but the table tells the truth."
Stockport boss Carlton Palmer added: "It was a scrappy game, but I don't give two hoots, we've won and that's what matters."