Colchester United have been beaten 1-0 at Plymouth Argyle in their first away day of 2019/20.
On a blustery day in Devon, the U's fell to a second half goal from Antoni Sarcevic.
After the goalless first period, the U's started the second on the front foot, but it was the home midfielder's clinical strike that settled things.
Luke Prosser failed to get to the ball before Byron Moore, but was rescued by keeper Dean Gerken who saved at the near post from the angled shot.
At the other end, Ben Stevenson was the first to test the home keeper, but his shot after combining with Frank Nouble was straight at Palmer.
Joel Grant got the better of Tom Lapslie on fourteen minutes, but just when he looked like he could get a shot away, he tried to square it and Kane Vincent-Young cleared the danger.
Shots from outside the box were then shared, with Danny Mayor and Luke Norris both failing to test the opposing keeper – the only difference was Norris’ effort was deflected wide.
Although the home side had got into good areas around the U’s penalty area in the first quarter of the game, the visitors defended higher up as the half wore on.
The final chance of the half came on forty four minutes, but Mayor whipped his free kick well over the U’s crossbar.
Whilst the hosts had the better of the early stages of the first half, it was the U’s who started on the front foot in the second.
Within two minutes of the restart, Courtney Senior latched onto a great flick on by Jevani Brown, but the shot was straight at Palmer.
A fantastic strike from Norris was then palmed away by the home keeper, and then the best chance of the game for the U’s fell to Tom Lapslie.
A great one two resulted in Vincent-Young whipping the ball across the six yard line.
Lapslie was stretching but could only get a toe to it and it flew wide. The frustrating thing was Norris was well placed behind Lapslie to tap in, but there was no blame on the U’s midfielder for going for the ball.
The hosts did hit the post after regaining possession in a dangerous area, and then scored what turned out to be the winner on fifty seven minutes.
Seven minutes later, John McGreal made the U’s first change of the afternoon, with Luke Gambin coming on for Courtney Senior.
And after Ryan Jackson replaced Cohen Bramall, it was Gambin who went closest to an equaliser.
Good work from Nouble gave the former Luton forward the chance, but the curler was inches from nestling in the top corner with Palmer well beaten.
In injury time, the other sub Jackson had an effort of his own, but his powerful half volley was unfortunately straight at Palmer and the score remained 1-0 to the hosts.