Cristiano Lucarelli grabbed a hat-trick for Livorno to deny Roma the chance to move within four points of Inter Milan.

The Giallorossi squandered the lead on two occasions and also missed a penalty on an afternoon of frustration for coach Claudio Ranieri.

The hosts - who remain in the bottom three but at least gained a point on fourth-bottom Lazio - took the lead after nine minutes through Lucarelli, only for Simone Perrotta to level matters within 60 seconds.

Luca Toni then put the visitors in front with a controversial strike but Lucarelli netted again after 26 minutes to restore parity.

A breathtaking passage of play showed no sign of abating with David Pizarro restoring Roma's lead approaching the half-hour mark and the visitors should have doubled their advantage before the break but Pizarro missed from the spot.

Lucarelli was more accurate from 12 yards with 20 minutes to go and Livorno held on despite a late Roma onslaught.

A stunning first half opened with Davide Di Gennaro coming close with a 25-yard free-kick which flashed inches over the Roma bar.

Lucarelli, back at Livorno on loan after spells with Shakhtar Donetsk and Parma, has been a clinical finisher over the years and he took just nine minutes to open his account for the afternoon.

After beating a flimsy Roma offside trap he ran on and slipped the ball past Roma keeper Julio Sergio.

Roma came into the game buoyed by Inter's defeat at Catania on Friday night and equalised almost immediately when Toni nodded down for Rodrigo Taddei and his backheel picked out Perrotta, who fired into the top left-hand corner.

The visitors turned the match in their favour nine minutes later.

Pizarro's free-kick was nudged on by Perrotta for Toni, who headed in despite looking suspiciously offside.

Livorno got back on level terms after 26 minutes when Roma's back four again went missing, allowing Lucarelli time and space to run through, skip past Julio Sergio and roll the ball into an empty net.

Roma responded quickly once more, the impressive Perrotta picking out Pizarro and he made no mistake with a clinical finish.

Roma could have established a 4-2 lead five minutes before the break when Dario Knezevic felled Jeremy Menez inside the area, but Pizarro's spot-kick came back off the post.

Di Gennaro almost made the most of his side's good fortune with another long-range effort just before the break which flashed wide.

Di Gennaro clearly had a taste for the spectacular as, four minutes after the restart, he attempted an audacious lob which just cleared the Roma bar.

Menez for Roma and Davide Moro for the hosts both came close with long-range efforts before Livorno did find an equaliser after 70 minutes.

Juan was adjudged to have handled inside the area and Lucarelli showed Pizarro how to do it with a crisp shot into the bottom left corner.

Lucarelli and Andrea Esposito almost made it 4-3 to Livorno before Roma cranked up the pressure over the final 13 minutes.

Toni, back after a calf problem, volleyed wide, Perrotta saw a free-kick saved by home keeper Rubinho and, in the final minute, Juan headed wastefully over from close range.

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