Vincenzo Montella enjoyed a winning start as coach of Roma with a narrow 1-0 win at Bologna.
Roma see off Bologna in first game under new coach
Vincenzo Montella enjoyed a winning start as coach of Roma with a narrow 1-0 win at Bologna.
Daniele De Rossi's goal on the stroke of half-time ended Bologna's unbeaten run at the Renato Dall' Ara stadium in 2011.
The win, Roma's first in a month, lifted them to sixth in the table, four points and two places adrift of city rivals Lazio.
Montella was on the Roma bench for his first match as a Serie A coach after replacing Claudio Ranieri, who resigned earlier this week.
Roma went into the contest having lost three straight in the league and Montella left captain Francesco Totti out of his starting XI, opting to play Marco Borriello alongside Mirko Vucinic in attack.
With Roma having conceded 11 goals in their last three league games, including four in the second half at Genoa last weekend, Montella played with a high defensive line and it paid dividends.
Saved
However, there were few signs of confidence in either side in the opening stages.
Roma had the first chance in the 25th minute when Fabio Simplicio's right-footed effort from the edge of the area was kept out by Bologna goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano.
Shortly after, Riccardo Meggiorini's 30-yard volley was saved by Roma goalkeeper Alexander Doni.
Bologna players then complained De Rossi should have been shown his second yellow card in the 41st minute after the Italian midfielder cleared the ball with his hand.
The referee waved play on and De Rossi punished Bologna.
Federico Casarini failed to clear the ball inside Bologna's area and Vucinic fed De Rossi, whose right-footed strike from 12 yards beat Viviano.
Fierce
Roma could have doubled their lead on the hour mark but Borriello's fierce strike from 30 yards went wide.
At the other end, Gaston Ramirez came closer with his effort from outside the area which flew just over the bar.
Vucinic could have grabbed Roma's second in the 68th minute but his angled shot was wide.
Bologna surged forward more aggressively and Roma were forced to defend deeply.
With two minutes remaining, Roma defender Nicolas Burdisso did well to clear substitute Daniele Paponi's cross with Di Vaio waiting at the far post as the visitors held on for victory.
