Soccer-Tevez steers nine-man Boca to 1-0 win over Belgrano

BUENOS AIRES, July 27 (Reuters) - Carlos Tevez inspired nine-man Boca Juniors to a 1-0 away win over Belgrano that gave them a three-point lead at the top of the Argentine championship. Boca, who scored through Argentina midfielder Fernando Gago in the 37th minute of Sunday's match in Cordoba, were down to 10 men for the last half hour and nine for the last 22 minutes. Midfielder Pablo Perez and defender Gino Peruzzi were sent off after picking up second bookings in a foul-riddled match in which Tevez was the target of some hard marking but got on with the game and kept Boca afloat. "You have to know how to read games. When we were able to play, we played. When we had to fight, we fought," Tevez told reporters. "Boca can do big things, we have to stay on this route, we're doing well," he added after his second match since returning to his first club following a decade abroad. Boca have 40 points after 18 matches, three points more than San Lorenzo, held 1-1 at Godoy Cruz, and River Plate, who beat Colon 3-1 at home on Saturday. Rosario Central, fourth on 35 points, won their fourth consecutive city derby 1-0 away to Newell's Old Boys with a goal from the championship's leading scorer Marco Ruben, who took his tally to 12 in 18 matches. River striker Fernando Cavenaghi is one goal back after scoring for a second string side, while coach Marcelo Gallardo rested first choice players for Wednesday's first leg of the Libertadores Cup final away to Tigres of Mexico in Monterrey. "The lads are all on the same wavelength and that's good," Gallardo said of his squad. "The fans have big dreams." (Additional reporting by Luis Ampuero; Writing by Rex Gowar; Editing by John O'Brien)