Crusaders secured a 3-2 home victory against Portadown at Seaview, with Scottish forward Adam Brooks delivering a standout performance by scoring three goals in the match. Brooks’ hat-trick marked the first of the season in the Irish Premiership and came in only his third appearance of the campaign following his arrival from Queen of the South on a two-year deal earlier this summer.
The 22-year-old opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a finish from Kurtis Forsythe’s cross before doubling his tally in the 32nd minute. Brooks completed his hat-trick early in the second half following a defensive lapse by Jack Scott. Manager Declan Caddell praised Brooks’ instinctive finishing and movement, noting that the striker had been underutilized in previous assignments on the wing and had now found his rhythm in a central attacking role.
Crusaders had previously struggled to replace Fraser Bryden, who departed for English League Two side Chesterfield this summer after scoring 23 goals in his single season with the club. Brooks was tasked with filling that void after contributing eight goals during his first campaign while playing alongside Bryden. The victory extended Crusaders’ unbeaten home record to two consecutive wins following a difficult prior season marked by inconsistent defensive displays.
Portadown’s afternoon was complicated when Finn Flanagan received a red card following two yellow cards for rash challenges in the first half. The visitors rallied with second-half goals from Baris Altintop and Eamon Fyfe but ultimately could not recover. Manager David Jeffrey acknowledged thin margins in his team’s opening three matches, noting that Portadown should have earned points in each contest despite their winless start. The Ports now face a demanding fixture list ahead against Coleraine, Cliftonville, Larne, and Linfield.
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