​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.That inevitable led to interest from across the water and Bryden duly left for England, with many wondering how Declan Caddell could replace him.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.”‘Adam is a predator in the box’ – CaddellBrooks 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.With Bryden gone and no direct replacement signed, Brooks was tasked with playing through the middle and providing the focal point the Crues desperately needed.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 wa