Super subs keep Roma soaring

AS Roma´s forward Mirko Vucinic(L) celebrates with teammate Daniele De Rossi after scoring against AC Milan during their Italian Serie A football match in Rome´s Olympic stadium.

      ROME (AFP) - An inspired double substitution from AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti propelled the Champions League quarter-finalists to a vital 2-1 victory over AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday.

      Spalletti sent on Mirko Vucinic and Ludovic Giuly just past the hour mark with his team trailing 1-0 and both scored to seal three points for the hosts.

      It means Roma closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan, who host Palermo on Sunday, to just three points while Milan, who dominated large parts of the match, remain in fifth spot.

      Spalletti admitted his side could not have complained if they had lost.

      "At 1-0 they could have sealed the match. We did well to continue believing and looking for the win," he said.

      "Often if you keep knocking on the door, you can open it. Milan played really well, if they had won we could not have said anything and we would have congratulated them."

      Out-of-form Inter will now be feeling the pressure, particularly with their defensive injury problems.

      Roma have not been this close to them since mid-December.

      "We did well and probably they (Inter) have a little bit more pressure on them now," added Spalletti.

      Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team did not deserve to lose.

      "It was a lack of concentration at the end that cost us dearly. We played well and I'm more or less happy," he told Sky Sport.

      "We had the match under control and we were looking to score a second.

      "I'm very disappointed because we played well. At Empoli (last week) we won without deserving to but here we played well and we have to continue in this vein."

      Ancelotti denied that his ageing team had reached the end of the road.

      "The team I saw tonight needs a little touching up rather than a revolution," he added.

      In a tepid first half Roma created the first real opportunity after 25 minutes but Francesco Totti and Smione Perrotta overcomplicated matters and finally Alessandro Mancini sent a spectacular bicycle kick well over.

      Milan were the better side in general and Clarence Seedorf skipped down the right to cross but Kaka couldn't get any power on his header.

      Giuseppe Favalli then beat Cicinho to the ball on Milan's left but Kaka headed his cross wide.

      In stoppage time at the end of the first period Max Tonetto crossed invitingly to Totti who somehow missed his header from close range.

      Milan took total command at the start of the second period with Seedorf playing in Kaka only for Doni to save one-handed.

      Doni was then down smartly to stop a Seedorf shot at the near post but Roma finally cracked on 56 minutes.

      Andrea Pirlo released Massimo Oddo down the right and he clipped the ball into the box for Kaka to volley home left footed.

      Three minutes later and Seedorf rounded Doni but Cicinho did brilliantly to get back and clear the Dutchman's shot off the line.

      Roma couldn't stem the tide and Doni was forced into parrying a fierce Kaka volley from inside the box.

      Spalletti responded by sending on Vucinic and Giuly to add some urgency to his team.

      The move paid dividends as Giuly arrived in the right place at the right time on 78 minutes to volley home a chip from Perrotta after the Milan defence were all drawn to the ball, leaving the Frenchman in acres of space at the back post.

      Three minutes later and Montenegro striker Vucinic latched onto a long ball from De Rossi to fire low past Australian goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac.

      In the day's other match Italy international Antonio Di Natale scored four minutes from time to earn Udinese a 2-2 home draw with Lazio, a result that hasn't helped the northern outfit's hopes of qualifying for Europe next season.

      Lazio twice took the lead through Tommaso Rocchi and Cristian Ledesma but Udinese hit back first through Damiano Ferronetti and then Di Natale.