It was always going to be difficult for Crusaders to find a replacement for the prolific Fraser Bryden, who left the club after one season to join League Two side Chesterfield earlier this summer.

Bryden had come in to take over as the Crues' main goal threat from fellow Scot Kieran Offord, who is now at Linfield after a dazzling half-season on loan at Seaview.

The 22-year-old hit the ground running, with 23 goals in his one and only season in north Belfast helping them to maintain their place in the top flight.

The answer has come from within and in the form of yet another Scotsman.

Step forward Adam Brooks, whose hat-trick helped Crusaders to beat 10-man Portadown 3-2 in an entertaining game at Seaview on Saturday.

"It was nice to get a hat-trick today, but to be fair I could have had five so there's always room for improvement," Brooks told BBC Sport NI.

"I'm still learning and this is such a competitive league as Portadown showed today even when they went down to 10 men.

"It's been a good start to the season I've got to just keep working hard and stay grounded."

Brooks arrived in the same window as Bryden, joining on a two-year-deal from Queen of the South.

He showed glimpses of his talent last season, playing alongside Bryden up top, or off the wing in a front three alongside the big striker and the pacy Elliot Dunlop.

The 22-year-old contributed eight goals but his form dipped after Christmas just like many of those in black and red as they battled relegation.

He was quiet against Cliftonville in the opening day defeat, failed to score in their win against Ballymena last weekend, before bursting into life against the Ports at Seaview.

Brooks showed a real striker's instinct to poke home the opener from Kurtis Forsythe's cross on 11 minutes.

He then drifted between two defenders to latch onto the impressive Owen Wardell's delivery and guide the ball beyond Aaron McCarey on 32 minutes.

The young striker completed his hat-trick, the first scored in the Irish Premiership this season, early in the second half, showing great composure to round McCarey and slot home after capitalising on a slack back pass from Jack Scott.

Those goals will no doubt give Brooks confidence and Caddell will hope the young striker can, like Bryden and Offord before him, show that ruthless streak on a more consistent basis.

"Adam's first two goal were typical of him, he's a predator in the box," said Crusaders boss Declan Caddell.

"We maybe didn't see the best of him last year as I used him out left when we didn't get the best out of him, but we have seen that in pre-season and the first three games.

"He was exceptional today and his hat-trick was well-deserved. I told him he keeps making those moves the goals will come. Thankfully he got three today and could have had more, but I'm delighted for him."

It was a big win for the Crues, who were cruising but then, as they did on so many occasions last season, conceded sloppy goals to allow the Ports a route back into the game.

They defended resolutely after Eamon Fyfe netted a second for the Ports as they made it back-to-back home wins, staying true to Caddell's words that they will look to make Seaview a fortress this year after suffering too many home losses last campaign.

It was another tough day at the office for the returning David Jeffrey, who has now lost his opening three games as Portadown manager.

The Ports were left to rue some poor defending for the Crues' first two goals that left them with a mountain to climb.

That only got steeper when Finn Flanagan was shown two yellow cards for two rash challenges as he was given his marching orders in the first half.

They rallied well in the early part of the second half with goals from Baris Altintop and Fyfe, but Scott's poor back pass allowed Brooks to nip in for the third and they could not find a crucial third which would have secured an unlikely point.

Those were the first two goals the Ports had managed to score this season after narrow defeats against Carrick Rangers and Dungannon Swifts in which they failed to find the back of the net.

"It's thin lines and fine margins," Jeffrey said of his side's start to the season.

"In all of the three games we've played, we should have got something out of them. We have much to ponder and we have much to praise.

"I knew it was a sizeable job when I took it on, we brought in quite a number of players but we will keep working as hard as we can and keep remembering the principles we base everything on and go forward positively."

Jeffrey's side face a tough run of fixtures now as they take on Coleraine, Cliftonville, Larne and Linfield in their next four.

It is hard to see where from those four games their first points of the season will come if they do not tidy up defensively.