Roma beat Lecce with last-gasp penalty
Reuters - Friday 04 March 2011, 21:58
MILAN - AS Roma needed a last-minute
penalty from David Pizarro to win 2-1 at lowly Lecce in Serie A
on Friday and boost their confidence ahead of Tuesday's
Champions League clash with Shakhtar Donetsk.
Roma lost 3-2 at home to the Ukrainians in their last 16
first leg, a defeat that contributed to coach Claudio Ranieri
quitting, but new interim boss Vincenzo Montella has now
recorded two wins and a draw since taking over.
Former Lecce forward Mirko Vucinic gave Roma the lead after
32 minutes when he escaped his marker and slammed the ball home
at the far post but the Montenegrin did not celebrate in front
of a crowd that adored him between 2000 and 2006.
Guillermo Giacomazzi's header midway through the second
period looked to have salvaged a point for Lecce but Chile's
Pizarro slotted in the spot-kick after a foul on Marco Borriello
with usual penalty taker Francesco Totti suspended.
The win, in a game switched to Friday from the weekend to
give Roma more time to prepare for the Donetsk trip, means the
Giallorossi stay sixth whatever happens in Saturday and Sunday's
fixtures while Lecce remain a place above the drop zone.
Roma's first choice right-back Marco Cassetti had to come
off in the first half and could be doubtful for Tuesday.