Crusaders manager Declan Caddell believes Elliot Dunlop can hit new heights in his second full Irish League season after Saturday’s screamer in a 2-1 defeat to Limavady United – but is adamant “we can't just rely on individuals”.

Scottish winger Dunlop arrived at Seaview last summer alongside fellow countrymen Adam Brooks and Fraser Bryden, who have both since sealed six-figure moves to Coleraine and Chesterfield respectively.

The 20-year-old netted twice in the Premiership last term and has already equalled that tally after just six games of the current campaign – his curling effort handed Crusaders a weekend lifeline.

Dunlop is part of a threatening Crues attack alongside Owen Wardell, who has also impressed at the start of this season, on the other wing.

placeholder image — Crusaders manager Declan Caddell. (Photo by Desmond Loughery/Pacemaker Press)

"Yeah, I hope so (Dunlop can keep building),” said Caddell. "He has started off the season well, scored the first game of the season, he has a couple of assists, scored again today.

"But we can't just rely on individuals. We've lost Adam Brooks, we can't rely on Elliot and Owen, who've started the season really well, to deliver week after week.

"Other players have to stand up and be counted, and probably the last two weeks, we haven't got that.”

After stringing together three consecutive league wins against Ballymena United, Portadown and Glentoran, Crusaders are now coming off back-to-back defeats.

Only bottom two Portadown and Bangor (both 13) have conceded more goals than Crusaders (12) so far this season – and Caddell was hit with further blows as both Jacob Blaney and Graham Kelly were forced off on Saturday.

“Yeah, but that's not an excuse,” added Caddell. "Just in general, our play, we were slow, we were predictable, we didn't look like we had any ideas of how to play through and we played into Limavady’s hands.

"That's probably the annoying thing, because we knew they would sit in the low block, they would counter us, we'd done that prep all week.

"But ultimately, we didn't do enough to win the game.

"We hit the bar late on and had another couple of opportunities, put them under pressure, but it wasn't enough over the 90 minutes.

"I think Limavady came here, set up well, and when chances came, they took them.

"That was part of their game plan and it worked well, it was credit to them.

"I just thought, looking at ourselves, I thought we were poor – and that's not taking anything away from Limavady.

"You look at both sets of players, even walking in off the pitch, you can see they had that wee bit of hunger, and when teams are scrapping at the bottom of the table, which we were (last season), if you give them an opportunity to hold on to something, they're not going to let it go.

"It's as simple as that. You've seen that with the faith and desire and the work that they put in.

"But it's happening too often this season, we're giving teams a goal up, and we're having to claw our way back into games, which we don't want to be doing.”