IF THESE girls are anything to go by, the future of women's football in Stanthorpe looks strong.

The Stanthorpe under-13 girls will host the South West Thunder at CF White Oval in what promises to be an exciting exhibition match this Saturday. The local side will be in good stead leading into the game, coming off the back of a gutsy win over Warwick at the weekend's Southern Downs Challenge.

Stanthorpe and Warwick went head to head in three age groups at the weekend, with the Granite Belt teams coming out on top in all but one encounter.

The U13 boys went down 3-2 to their northern opponents in a see-sawing affair, while the U12 Stanthorpe boys inched ahead to a 2-1 victory.

The U13 Stanthorpe girls had spectators on the edge of their seats, finally winning their match 3-0 in penalty shootouts after the scores remained locked throughout the game.

Coach Scott Goodwin said the weekend's matches were part of a new Stanthorpe/Warwick challenge designed to strengthen the local competition for 12 and 13-year-old footballers.

"We're just hoping the kids will keep involved and keep playing for years to come," Goodwin said.

He also encouraged all players over the age of 13 to consider taking their football career to the next level through the National Premier League, which is holding this season's South West team trials are being held late next month. For details email swqthunderfc@gmail.com or phone 4662 4261.

The Stanthorpe under-13 girls take on South West Thunder at 11am at CF White Oval this Saturday, with a curtain-raiser between the local U11 and U12 teams at 9.30am.