Marco Di Vaio struck a late goal as Bologna beat Chievo 2-1 to climb further away from the relegation zone this afternoon.

With the game at the Renato Dall' Ara stadium looking to be heading for a draw, the veteran captain had the final say to hand his team all three points. Chievo's Bostjan Cesar had previously cancelled out Miguel Britos' 39th-minute opener.

The result has left Bologna seven points clear of the bottom three, level on 19 points with Fiorentina. Chievo lie one point clear of Bologna. This game was scheduled to be played last week but was postponed because of bad weather in Bologna.

Bologna, who remain unbeaten at home this season, went into the encounter in buoyant mood after clinching their first triumph on the road this season at Cesena last weekend.

And the hosts should have gone in front in the 17th minute. Henry Gimenez intercepted Roberto Guana's pass and surged towards the Chievo area only for his diagonal effort to go wide.

Chievo were forced to make their first substitution midway through the first half with Mariano Bogliacino replacing an injured Kevin Constant. In the 25th minute, Michele Marcolini missed a good chance to put Chievo ahead when his left-footed strike from the heart of the area went off target.

Bologna broke the deadlock in the 39th minute when Chievo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino could not hold onto Marco Di Vaio's powerful free-kick and Britos got the easy tap-in.

But Chievo levelled four minutes into the second half. Cesar got behind Marcolini's cross from a corner and his six-yard header beat Bologna goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano. In the 55th minute, Di Vaio almost put Bologna back in front but he nodded off target from Federico Casarini's cross.

Shortly after, Pablo Granoche's shot from close-range was met by a fine save from Viviano. With 15 minutes remaining, Luca Siligardi should have handed the hosts all three points but his effort went over the bar.

Bologna's efforts were rewarded in the final seconds, though, when Vangelis Moras fed an unmarked Di Vaio inside the area and he coolly struck past Sorrentino.