Della Rocca scored on the hour mark to cancel out Vincenzo Montella's ninth-minute opener and allow his team to maintain their positive run.

Roma failed to take advantage of numerous opportunities and were made to pay as the visitors proved why they have avoided defeat in their last seven encounters.

Luigi Del Neri's men went into the clash needing three points in order to return to a UEFA Cup position after victories for Sampdoria and Palermo on Saturday.

The hosts had the first chance of the game with six minutes played but Olivier Dacourt's strike from long range flew wide of Gianluca Pagliuca's right hand post.

But it did not take long for Roma to find the target, as three minutes later Montella scored the first goal of the afternoon.

Montella picked up Antonio Cassano's superb pass and dribbled past the goalkeeper before firing the ball into the empty net.

The visitors came desperately close to levelling the score but Della Rocca's lob past goalkeeper Carlo Zotti landed on top of the net.

Midway through the first half, Roma had a penalty appeal waved away when Cassano appeared to be brought down inside the area but referee Antonio Dattilo allowed the game to continue.

Roma could have gone into the break with a 2-0 advantage had an unmarked Montella latched onto Francesco Totti's dangerous free-kick but he was unable to get the finishing touch.

In the 44th minute, Bologna should have been awarded a penalty after Philippe Mexes touched the ball with his hand following Federico Giunti's corner, but once again the referee gave the defender the benefit of the doubt.

Shortly after the re-start, a fantastic move involving Roma's formidable attacking trio of Totti, Cassano and Montella should have seen the hosts strike their second.

However Pagliuca cleverly anticipated Montella, who was ready to fire the ball to the back of the net.

Four minutes later, it was Totti that came close to scoring, after his powerful free-kick smacked off the right hand post.

But just when Roma appeared to have the game under control, Bologna equalised.

Mexes failed to intercept Marco Ferrante's cross towards the far post, where an unmarked Della Rocca fired the ball to the back of the net.

The goal sparked Del Neri's first substitution of the match with 20 minutes remaining, with Alessandro Mancini replacing Christian Panucci, but Bologna's defence proved solid under the pressure.

With six minutes left to play, Totti fired high of Pagliuca's crossbar while Daniele De Rossi twice had the opportunity to put his team back in front.

However his powerful effort on target was blocked by a Bologna defender and seconds later, his close-range shot went straight into the goalkeeper's hands.

In the last minute of the game, Roma were denied a late winner as Montella headed the ball home only to be penalised for a push.