England forward Nikita Parris headed Brighton to victory over Leicester as they maintained their promising start to the Women’s Super League campaign.

Parris’ 20th-minute strike proved the decisive intervention in a 1-0 victory at the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday afternoon which extended the Seagulls’ unbeaten league run to four games.

However, they were made to work all the way to the whistle for it as chances came and went but were not taken to leave the game in the melting pot to the death.

Fran Kirby and Vicky Losada had both taken aim at Janina Leitzig’s goal when Parris put a 13th-minute headed wide, but she found her range soon enough.

It was the 30-year-old who reacted first to get her head to Jorelyn Carabali’s cross and score from close range to cement an enterprising start.

Bruna Vilamala saw a 35th-minute shot blocked and, after Parris had missed the target from Kirby’s set-up, she fired wide from distance on the stroke of half-time as City reached the break without sustaining further damage.

Carabali headed past the post from Losada’s cross four minutes after the restart and Losada sent an attempt over the bar before Parris forced a save from Leitzig and Carabali went just too high from outside the box.

But Brighton were unable to kill the game off and Sophie Baggaley had to save from Hannah Cain before fellow substitute Saori Takarada, who had replaced injured midfielder Sam Tierney following her departure on a stretcher, saw a stoppage-time strike blocked as Leicester scrapped – ultimately in vain – for a way back into the game.