Connolly spent six years with the Saints, including short loan spells at Morton and Ayr United.
[4] During his time at Dundee United, Connolly was involved in one of Scottish football's more bizarre moments when he was denied a hat-trick in a February 1993 match against Partick Thistle at Firhill after referee Les Mottram failed to notice his shot had entered the goal and come back from the supporting stanchion.
Despite Partick defender Martin Clark catching the ball and handing it to goalkeeper Andy Murdoch to restart, Mottram missed both the goal and handball to wave play on.
The incident resulted in the stanchions from which the ball had rebounded, previously widely used, being removed in a re-design of football goalposts.
[6] In 2018, at the same end of the stadium, a similar incident occurred, with Partick Thistle this time being denied a legitimate goal.