Soccer-Peru break duck with 1-0 win over Venezuela

LIMA, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Troubled Peru won for the first time at the seventh attempt in their World Cup qualifying campaign when they beat Venezuela 1-0 in front of a sparse crowd on Saturday.

Striker Piero Alva scored the winner seven minutes before halftime to take Peru off the bottom of the 10-team South American qualifying group.

Peru, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1982, have six points, two more than Bolivia.

Venezuela, the only South American team never to have played at a World Cup, remained on seven points after their second defeat in a row.

Peru were missing strikers Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizarro after coach Jose Del Solar declined to select them.

The pair were banned for 18 months for indiscipline following an incident at the team hotel in November but, although the suspensions were later cut to three months, Del Solar decided not to recall them immediately.

Paolo Guerrero was also missing as he began a six-match international ban imposed by FIFA after his sending-off against Uruguay.

Public support for Peru dropped to a new low after they gave a shambolic performance in a 6-0 defeat by Uruguay in June and only a few thousand people watched Saturday's game in the 80,000-capacity Monumental stadium.

The hosts dominated the first half with Alva and Nolberto Solano both going close before they took the lead.