“It’s Kieffer again, ole ole…”
So sang the elated Wrexham fans on a night to remember for Kieffer Moore, as Championship leaders Coventry City saw their unbeaten run shattered by what is commonly regarded as the perfect hat-trick from the Wales international.
The 33-year-old found the net three times as the home side came from behind to triumph 3-2 — first with his right foot, then with his head, and, finally, with a thumping left-foot shot that left Coventry goalkeeper Carl Rushworth grasping at fresh air.
Scoring a hat-trick is hard enough at the best of times. This was the first time Moore had scored three times in the same game since 2018, when he inspired Barnsley to a 4-0 win at Rochdale in League One.
But few manage the ‘perfect’ trio and certainly not against a side who had previously dominated the Championship to such an extent that they arrived at the SToK Cae Ras boasting three of the division’s top four goalscorers in Brandon Thomas-Asante, Haji Wright and Victor Torp.
However, as City’s three hot-shots drew a rare blank, Moore delivered in devastating fashion to win even the praise of visiting manager Frank Lampard.
“Fair play to Kieffer Moore,” said the former England international. “A very good striker, very good in the box, and he had a good night.”
Even after succumbing to their first defeat of the season, Coventry have still scored 16 more goals than any of their second-tier peers thanks to breaching the Wrexham defence through Ephron Mason-Clark and Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
This, though, will have been little consolation on the journey home after finding themselves on the end of a finishing masterclass from a striker who moved to north Wales last summer from Sheffield United in a £2million ($2.6m) deal that looks more of a bargain with each passing week.
As Moore took the plaudits for felling Lampard’s table-topping side, Josh Windass was also able to celebrate his own hat-trick of assists on a night that will live long in the memory at Wrexham.
The deadly duo, who previously played together at Wigan Athletic in the 2019-20 season, combined for the first time on the hour, as Windass cleverly latched on to a deft pass from Issa Kabore before drilling a low cross that an unmarked Moore swept in from five yards, cancelling out Mason-Clark’s first-half opener.
Nine minutes later, Kabore again found Windass on the right. Moore, quickly alive to the possibilities suddenly opening up, cleverly peeled away from his marker, meaning he was all on his own when Windass’ pinpoint cross duly arrived at the back post.
Moore scored three goals in 23 second-half minutes (Ben Roberts/Getty Images)
Cue another predatory finish, this time with a bullet header that beat Rushworth at his near post. Coventry and their 1,291 travelling fans were stunned, but there was worse to follow on 83 minutes.
This time, Wrexham opened up Coventry down the opposite flank, a delightful pass from Windass immediately taking City centre-half Luke Woolfenden out of the game as Moore raced in behind.
A swing of his left leg to power the ball past the exposed Rushworth and Wrexham were toasting a famous victory, Sakamoto’s late strike no more than a consolation for the leaders.
“(It was) a great night,” said Moore, who had ended a seven-game run without a goal when scoring in the otherwise sorry midweek Carabao Cup defeat to Cardiff City. “I’ve never managed the ‘perfect’ hat-trick before.
“Even if you do this in training, it’s something to celebrate. I’d even try to take the matchball home if I did it in the week!”
Asked how he might celebrate a first hat-trick in Wrexham colours, Moore replies: “I might have a nice glass of red wine tonight. We have a one-year-old (son Hudson), so getting some sleep can be tough. Maybe I’ll also ask my wife if I can have a nice night’s sleep. Though it’ll probably be a swift ‘no’.”
Moore’s hat-trick, the fourth of a career now into its 16th season, took his tally of goals for Wrexham this season to nine. He also scored the winner for Wales in an important World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan in September, meaning the striker has one more goal than former club Sheffield United have scored in total since letting the 6ft 5in (196cm) striker go last summer.
It seemed a bad decision at the time and certainly a sale that Chris Wilder, sacked just weeks after United had lost the Championship play-off final, would surely not have sanctioned, having fought so hard to sign Moore from Ipswich Town 12 months earlier.
Unfortunately for the Yorkshire club, Wilder’s successor, Ruben Selles — himself sacked just a few weeks into this season and replaced by Wilder — didn’t fight to keep the striker, ensuring United’s loss has very much been Wrexham’s gain.
Coventry fans were haunted by Moore’s Halloween hat-trick (Carl Recine/Getty Images)
“It was a difficult season,” adds Moore, who netted six times for the Bramall Lane club in 2024-25. “I started well, but then it got to January and I struggled with multiple injuries and had to have surgery.
“Coming back from that wasn’t great, but I got myself back in a position where I was showing a good portion of myself. Would I have liked the season to turn out better? Of course.
“But I use things like that as motivation. I wanted to come here and almost remind people what kind of player I am. I know I can perform at high levels and tonight was one of them.”
As the final whistle blew on Friday night’s match to seal a precious win that nudged Wrexham up to 11th in the table, the crowd rightly rose to salute Moore.
Even the PA system got in on the act, playing KC and the Sunshine Band’s hit Give It Up to allow the elated fans to quickly adapt the lyrics in Moore’s honour. Like the hero of the hour, a faultless finish to a night that will live long in the memory.
