Roma lift Italian Cup 7-4 on aggregate

MILAN, May 17 (Reuters) AS Roma won the Italian Cup today after a 2-1 defeat at holders Inter Milan gave them a 7-4 aggregate victory.

Inter, who have missed out on a second successive league and cup double, produced a spirited display but Roma's extraordinary 6-2 victory in last week's first leg proved too much.

Roberto Mancini's side had defeated Roma in the previous two finals but will have to make do with the league championship this season.

In-form Argentine striker Hernan Crespo arched his neck to score with a delightful header from Maicon's cross early in the second period to give the home side the lead.

Substitute Julio Cruz, who entered the fray in the first half for the injured Patrick Vieira, then slid in Luis Figo's pass on 56 minutes to spark hopes of an improbable comeback.

But it was never really on and the frustration boiled over for Mancini, who was sent from the dugout for protesting midway through the second half.

He tried to direct the team from the stands but any chance of a sensational turnaround evaporated when Inter defender Ivan Cordoba was sent off for a handball having received his first booking after just two minutes of the San Siro clash.

Roma then twisted the knife when Simone Perrotta turned in Francesco Totti's cross-shot seven minutes from time.

Right back Christian Panucci was dismissed for pulling back Inter's Alvaro Recoba in injury time but nothing could take the gloss off the win for Roma, who finished second to Inter in the league.

A few hundred Roma supporters were packed into the away end and were determined to make themselves heard as they celebrated their first Cup triumph since 1991.

Only a sprinkling of Inter fans had bothered to attend given the first leg score.

But the few that were in the stadium would have been encouraged by Inter's show and they could have scored more than two in the second period, with Alvaro Recoba having the best chance only to be forced too wide after goalkeeper Doni's slip.

Totti, who proudly held the cup aloft only four days after the birth of his second child, also forced Inter keeper Francesco Toldo to tip his long range effort onto the bar in the closing stages.

Reuters TB VP2358