Roma keep faint title hopes alive with win

Roma kept alive their slim hopes of wresting the Serie A title fromJuventus with a 4-2 win over Parma in the capital on Tuesday.The result left Roma eight points behind the champions with seven gamesremaining, although as Juve have dropped only 12 points in 31 matches so far, itwould be a tall order to expect the Old Lady of Turin to falter from here.But Roma did at least ensure that they need only one more point to secure one ofItaly's three Champions League qualification positions for next season.They also extended their lead over third-placed Napoli to nine points, leaving themin a great position to qualify directly for the continent's premier club competition's group stages.Goals from Ivorian forward Gervinho and club legend Francesco Totti either side ofGhanaian Afriyie Acquah's strike gave the hosts a 2-1 half-time lead at the StadioOlimpico.Further goals from Bosnian playmaker Miralem Pjanic and Rodrigo Taddei made itcomfortable for Roma before Jonathan Biabiany notched a last minute consolationfor Parma.The visitors' own Europa League hopes were hurt by the defeat -- their second in amatter of days in Rome having lost 3-2 to Lazio in Sunday -- which leaves them stillin sixth, two points behind fifth-placed Inter Milan. Source: AFP