Dover boss Chris Kinnear praised his young team after they emerged victorious from a lively Kent derby against Ebbsfleet at Crabble.

A crowd of 1,562 watched Whites win the game 2-1 on Tuesday night, with Kinnear coming out on top against his former first-team coach Steve Brown - now in his first manager's job at Ebbsfleet.

There were players on both sides who had moved between the clubs during the summer but the game, although hard-fought, was played in the right spirit.

Kinnear said: "We tried not to make it emotional and to be fair, there were no bad fouls. I think all the players on both sides got on with it and credit to them. It could have got a little bit funny but there was no way we were going to let it.

"I did say to the lads 'this is just another game' but it was a big game. Whether it was Ebbsfleet or whatever, we knew there were a lot of people here and I thought the players did themselves justice."

Brown, meanwhile, was left to ponder how his team had gone away empty-handed.

Ebbsfleet were in the ascendancy after Anthony Cook cancelled out Richard Orlu's sixth-minute header, but crucially Dover struck next through Tom Murphy and that proved to be the winner.

Brown said: "I don't think it was a fair result. They've had one shot in the second half.

"In the first 20 minutes, Dover were completely on top. The lad up top (Elliott Charles) bullied our centre-halves but once they got hold of him, the football took over.

"I thought we were picking them apart quite easily and that continued in the first 25 minutes of the second half. But the goal just knocked the stuffing out of the performance."

Dover have taken maximum points from their first two Skrill South games but Kinnear stressed his team was still a work in progress.

"Whatever the result, you don't win the league now," he said. "They are a good bunch of lads and hopefully we'll get stronger.

"We talk to them and we play a certain way. Everyone knows their job.

"You don't have to play like Barcelona but you don't have to play like the old Wimbledon. There are times to do things. At times we weren't happy with the way it went but they will learn."

Brown's philosophy is to play attractive football, although he knows his side will have to adapt if they are to challenge for promotion.

He said: "Dover do play a certain way and if you're going to be successful, you have to combat lots of different styles.

"A set-piece and a long ball, we haven't dealt with them, simple as that.

"I came here desperately trying to get three points and I thought the performance warranted certainly not losing.

"It's a bit of a crime that we haven't come away with something."