However, foloowing Fridays signing of Neil Mellor on a season long loan from Liverpool, the Republic of Ireland international had to make do with a place on the bench, a decision which has left him both baffled and fuming.
"I had been part of the starting line-up in training all week, then we picked Neil up at a service station yesterday and I was told he would be playing instead of me," said Connolly, after the 2-1 victory.
"It was a mind-boggling, terrible decision, a real kick in the teeth. I was very disappointed with the manager and I told him so.
"You have to earn the right to play during training and in games, and I felt I had done that.
"It was unfair on Neil that he played, unfair on the team because they hadn't trained with him and unfair on me.
"I don't know if Neil is going to play all the time but if he is I am going to look for another club. I didn't come here to sit on the bench.
"I don't mind competition, but you have to earn the right to play. The impression I got was that Gerard Houllier only let Neil come because he was guaranteed to start."When Glenn told me I wasn't playing I was in total disbelief. How can he pick someone who has only trained with us for an hour?
"He could have signed for other clubs but didn't because he wasn't guaranteed a start. So why did he sign for West Ham? I can't believe it. I will speak to Glenn again about this. I have to."