DAVID Brooks stepped up his return to full fitness with a starring display for Cherries development squad as they defeated Portsmouth 5-2 in the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Cherries trailed by two goals after 22 minutes, Tom Lowery opening scores before setting up Koby Mottoh, but Brooks sparked Alan Connell’s charges into a quick turnaround with a first-half hat-trick.

Whilst completing his treble, he also found time to tee up Daniel Adu-Adjei, sending Cherries into the break 4-2 up.

Adu-Adjei made it a brace in the second period, putting the gloss on the result as Cherries secured safe passage to the semi-finals.

Portsmouth named nine first-teamers and featured senior head coach John Mousinho in the dugout.

His counterpart at Cherries, senior boss Gary O’Neil, watched on from the stands.

There was an early scare for the away side, Ben Winterburn released past the backline by a Brooks through ball.

The midfielder lofted the ball over Pompey keeper Josh Oluwayemi, but was unable to get enough power on his effort, the goalie recovering before it had crossed the line.

Cherries enjoyed the lion share of possession in the opening exchanges, captain Ben Greenwood winning the ball high up the pitch before narrowly sending his effort wide of the post.

But it would be the away side who would open the scoring.

Lowery intercepted Billy Terrell’s pass on the edge of the area, before keeping his composure to convert under pressure.

On 22 minutes, he would turn provider, supplying a fine ball over the top for Mottoh to latch onto and fire past Terrell.

Trailing by two, Cherries looked for a quick response. Three minutes later they found one, Brooks fashioned in by Winterburn.

Oluwayemi denied the Welsh international’s first attempt, before Brooks managed to bundle the rebound over the line to halve the deficit.

The winger would set up the equaliser, powering the ball into the path of Adu-Adjei who used the inside of the left-hand post to beat Oluwayemi and restore parity.

Brooks was not done there, completing the turnaround on 35 minutes. His attempt from inside the box was blocked but not stopped by Denver Hume, the deflection looping over Oluwayemi in the Pompey goal.

Before he came off at the break, Brooks completed his hat-trick, ghosting in at the far post before picking out the bottom corner.

Cherries restarted their scoring on 66 minutes, Adu-Adjei latching onto a sublime Greenwood ball over the top of Pompey’s defence.

The Poole Town loanee still had work to do, fending off seasoned pro Clark Robertson before slipping the ball underneath Oluwayemi for Cherries’ fifth.

Victory for Cherries sees them advance to the semi-final stage of the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Cherries: Terrell, Genesini, Kinsey-Wellings, Greenwood, Boutin (Gidaree, 75); Brown (Rees-Dottin, 86), Williams, Winterburn; Johnson (Morgan, 53), Adu-Adjei, Brooks (Dacosta Gonzalez, h-t).

Unused subs: Crisp (g/k).

Portsmouth: Oluwayemi, Quarm (Fox, 48), Dockerill, Robertson, Hume, Lowery (Aston, 71), Mingi, Payce, Mottoh, Pigott, Jacobs (Laidlaw, h-t).

Unused subs: Steward (g/k), Murray.