Craig Stone’s 58th minute goal was enough to give Dover Athletic an opening day win over Gosport Borough at a wet Privett Park.

Llloyd Harrington had the chance to give Boro’ goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore an early test when the visitors were awarded a free kick by the right-hand touchline only for the delivery to be headed away easily by Danny Smith

The Whites next chance came from a set piece too after Ashley Carew was bundled over 30 yards from goal. The 27-year-old got back to his feet to take the freekick but his attempt, like Harrington’s effort minutes before, could not beat the wall.

After a quiet opening twenty minutes Mike Gosney got the home fans on their feet with a mazy run. The summer signing waltzed past four defenders and made his way into the box, only for his final touch to be slightly too heavy.

A moment of confusion at the back, following an over hit back pass by Sam Pearce, nearly saw the deadlock broken after 25 minutes. Tom Murphy pounced on Ashmore’s errant touch and dispossessed the usually solid stopper.

Fortunately for the majority of the 592 crowd the ball was recovered at the third time of asking.

As Chris Kinnear’s side were restrained to troubling the score sheet from dead-balls a dipping strike from Carew demanded Ashmore reacted with an equally fine save, turning the ball around the post for a corner.

A slip from the usually reliable Terrell Forbes, who racked up over 100 league appearances while playing for QPR, let in Justin Bennett but last season’s top scorer blazed the opportunity wildly over Mitch Walker’s crossbar.

The defensive lapse seemed to act as a wake up call for last season's defeated play-off winners and moments later the Crabble outfit fired their fiercest warning shot when Murphy burst down the right wing.

The former Margate winger’s cross-come-shot appeared to be looping over Ashmore only for the highly rated ‘keeper to tip the ball over, for a corner.

And it was after the resulting succession of corners that saw Dover take the lead, through Stone’s right foot.

Referee Antony Coggins awarded The Whites yet another freekick, which found its way to Murphy who again forced a top save out of the Boro' stopper.

However, a lack of communication between Ashmore and centre back Jamie Brown resulted in penalty area ping-pong and the ball finally fell to Stone, unmarked, 20 yards from goal, who made no mistake in delightfully lobbing home.

As the rain continued to fall the surface became greasier but that could not excuse Ricky Modeste’s late lunge on Ashmore, which left the 'keeper floored and the former Chelmsford man lucky to escape with a yellow card.

As Alex Pike encouraged his side to push forward in search of an equaliser it was defender Pearce who came closest with a looping overhead kick that was fantastically saved at the back post by the largely untroubled Walker.

Gosport Borough
Nathan Ashmore. Paul Hinshelwood, Brett Poate, Jamie Brown, Lee Molyneaux, Sam Pearce, Sammy Igoe, Danny Smith, Rory Williams, Justin Bennett, Mike Gosney, Tom Dunford, Andy Forbes, Dan Wooden, Luke King, Gareth Barfoot

Dover Athletic
Mitch Walker, Michael Kamara, Tom Wynter, Craig Stone, Richard Orlu, Terrell Forbes, Ricky Modeste, Ashley Carew, Tom Murphy, Lloyd Harrington, Elliot Charles, Nathan Elder, Barry Cogan, Moses Ademola, Michael Bakara, Chris Kinnear

Attendance: 592