HOW many 40-yard stoppage-time matchwinners to create history have been inspired by Fox Sports football expert Ned Zelic? The answer: not many.

But that changed during Green Gully’s FFA Cup Round of 32 win over Central Coast Mariners - the second time a state-level club has beaten an A-League team.

Liam Boland was the hero with a brace. One goal was offside and the other was struck from 40 yards - but maybe the Mariners should’ve been expecting that.

On Tuesday afternoon before Gully’s match, Boland tweeted Zelic saying he would “try some individual brilliance just for you.”

Zelic replied by saying “Excellent. Under a little bit of pressure now - all the best.”

@lbols38 Excellent. Under a little bit of pressure now -- all the best — Ned Zelic (@NedZelic) August 2, 2016

Boland certainly handled the pressure. In the fifth minute of stoppage time, with the scores locked at 1-1, the Gully player received the ball, turned and scored from 40 yards.

Unsurprisingly Zelic tweeted after the match saying: “Liam Boland #IndividualBrilliance #FFACup.”

#Magicofthecup much?

“I can’t believe it. I’m lost for words,” Boland told Fox Sports.

“I’ve tried it a few times this year in the state-league and it hasn’t come off.

“It was about time and it just happened to be on this stage, so I’m really thankful for that.

The goal meant even more to Boland because of the impact it would have on his club.

“This club’s been dying for this,” said Boland.

“It’s a long time since they’ve been on the national stage.

“We fought really hard today and we didn’t put our heads down when we were 1-0 down.

“We came out in the second half with a lot of belief and we did that.”