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AS Roma's Daniele De Rossi (R) fights for tha ball with Chievo Verona's defender Mario Alberto Yepesy during their Serie A football match in Rome's Olympic Stadium. AS Roma survived the 11th-minute sending off of goalkeeper Doni to beat a woeful Chievo 1-0 and move up to fourth in Serie A.

Daniele De Rossi scored the only goal of the game in the opening minute as former Italy striker Luca Toni made his debut following his loan move from Bayern Munich.

Coach Claudio Ranieri paid tribute to his new striker, who was only replaced late on due to tiredness.

"I hoped that Toni would be as ready as this for the commitment of a match, he played well and was a great help to us," he said.

"With 11 against 11 he would have run less but even so he managed to keep us high up the pitch, he created the chance for a penalty, he fought hard and won many battles."

But that Roma managed to dominate a match in which they played almost 80 minutes with a numerical disadvantage said more about Chievo's ineptitude than their own ability.

However, Ranieri was relieved not to see the same late collapse that saw them lose a 2-0 lead in injury time away to Cagliari in midweek.

"We got very tense but it's useless to remember that. Today, given what happened in Sardinia, we reacted well and stayed concentrated right until the final whistle."

They were off to a flying start as De Rossi headed home David Pizarro's corner in the first minute.

Four minutes later Toni should have opened his Roma account but he flicked Rodrigo Taddei's inch-perfect cross wide of the near post when it seemed easier to hit the target.

Roma seemed to have shot themselves in the foot on 11 minutes when centre-backs Juan and Nicolas Burdisso left a gaping hole for Elvis Abbruscato to steam through onto Luca Rigoni's through ball.

Doni, who was only in the side after Julio Sergio was ruled out just before kick-off, came charging out of his box and blocked Abbruscato's chip with his arm, earning a straight red card.

Even so, the visitors created little and De Rossi curled a free-kick inches past the post on 25 minutes while three minutes later Toni failed to get a touch on John Arne Riise's fizzing volleyed cross from just a few yards out.

Riise then teed up Taddei on 31 minutes but the Brazilian bundled his back-post volley wide.

Ten minutes after the restart Toni won his side a penalty after crumpling in the box under minimal pressure from Davide Mandelli but justice was served when Stefano Sorrentino saved Pizarro's spot-kick.

Still Roma looked the more likely winners as Marco Cassetti met a Taddei cross two yards from goal at the back post on 70 minutes, but as he stooped to head the ball, it dipped under his head and hit his chest before dribbling wide.

Champions and leaders Inter Milan were due to host basement-sitters Siena in the day's late game, knowing a victory would take them 11 points clear at the top for 24 hours at least.

The big game of the weekend will take place on Sunday in Turin as second-placed AC Milan travel to face Juventus, one point and one place below them in Serie A.