Kiwi Moore scores unwanted hat-trick in US

Meikayla Moore has had a game to forget for New Zealand, scoring a hat-trick of own goals in a thumping 5-0 friendly loss to the United States.

Moore achieved the unwanted feat playing for the Football Ferns in the SheBelieves Cup in Carson, California.

Her own goals came from her right foot, left foot and head - known as a perfect hat-trick when scored at the right end - and she was substituted before halftime.

The 25-year-old defender's nightmare began in the fifth minute when she turned home Sophia Smith's cross at the near post with her right foot.

Moore barely had time to clear her head when she scored a second own goal just 82 seconds later.

This time she knew very little about it. Margaret Purce managed to get a head to a cross from Sofia Huerta and the ball smacked Moore in the face and deflected into the goal.

Worse was to come for Moore after 36 minutes when she stabbed Purce's cross past goalkeeper Erin Nayler with her left foot.

Moore failed to make it to the interval as she was taken off four minutes later by coach Jitka Klimkova.

The Christchurch native has played for Cologne and Duisburg in Germany before joining English club Liverpool in 2020.

With the victory, the home side extended their unbeaten home streak to 64 matches.