Craig Stone’s second-half strike was enough to give Dover Athletic victory over The Skrill South newcomers Gosport Borough at a wet Privett Park on Saturday.

Whites’ new skipper scored with a precise 58th-minute lob to give Chris Kinnear’s side an ideal start to the new campaign.

In a fairly quiet opening 45 minutes, Gosport striker Justin Bennett blazed a good chance over, while at the other end another of Dover’s new signings, winger Tom Murphy, drew two good saves out of Gosport keeper Nathan Ashmore.

Whites then forced a series of corners in the early stages of the second half and, from one of them, Stone was presented with the opportunity to fire home his first goal for the club.

As the rain continued to fall, the surface became greasier and Ricky Modeste was fortunate to escape with only a yellow card after his late lunge on Ashmore.

With time running out, Gosport manager Alex Pike encouraged his side to push forward in search of an equaliser and Sam Pearce fired in an overhead kick which produced a superb save by Mitch Walker.