Full-time - Leeds United 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2: Nuhiu inflicts last-gasp defeat
Nuhiu struck in the first minute of added time to sink United, just as Jay-Roy Grot’s first Leeds goal looked set to force a draw at a snow-covered Elland Road.
Grot sparked a dramatic finish by stepping off the bench to head home on 86 minutes, 14 minutes after Nuhiu had opened the scoring by converting the rebound from an Adam Reach effort.
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Hide AdBut Leeds were picked off at the death after Nuhiu got away from Matthew Pennington, leaving the demoralised hosts with one victory in 15 games.
Head coach Paul Heckingbottom has registered just one victory in eight matches since taking the job at the start of last month and his side had no answer to Nuhiu’s winner in a tame Yorkshire derby at Elland Road.
Leeds included 19-year-old debutant Tom Pearce at left-back but were without the creativity of Samuel Saiz, who missed out with a hamstring strain, and they struggled to fashion regular openings without the Spaniard.
Wednesday should have been ahead in the eighth minute when Lucas Joao read the run of Reach and played him in behind United’s defence but Peacock-Farrell cut the angle and blocked the winger’s effort with a foot.
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Hide AdAdam Forshaw was first to threatened for Leeds, curling a deflected shot wide after picking up a short corner from Pablo Hernandez, and Forshaw tried to force the pace of a derby which took time to find its rhythm.
Snow before kick-off made the pitch difficult but Reach drew another decent stop from Peacock-Farrell with a 20-yard effort on 22 minutes. Caleb Ekuban, however, let Wednesday off the hook moments later.
The striker had only Joe Wildsmith to beat after Hernandez and Forshaw worked a clever free-kick to him six yards out but the striker let Wednesday off the hook by driving a finish against the keeper.
Alioski was then denied by Wednesday’s covering defence as he burst onto an Ekuban pass and Ekuban lashed another chance high into the crowd on the half-hour.
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Hide AdA late strike from Atdhe Nuhiu sailed gently into Peacock-Farrell’s hands but United were rescued by an offside flag in injury-time as Hutchinson headed home from a free-kick.
Snow covered the pitch during the break, worsening the condition of the surface, but Gjanni Alioski drove a shot over within two minutes of the restart. Sam Hutchinson might have done better when a mix-up between Pearce and Matthew Pennington left him free to shoot on the edge of United’s area.
Nuhiu went much closer on the hour with a dipping attempt which cleared Peacock-Farrell’s crossbar and a penalty shout from Leeds was waved away after Alioski went down under pressure from Hutchinson.
The deadlock finally gave way in the 72nd minute, however, when a cross from Jack Hunt was headed against a post by Reach, presenting Nuhiu with the easiest of tap-ins.
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Hide AdHeckingbottom threw on Grot and Pierre-Michel Lasogga as heavy snow fell and Grot brought United level by heading in a hanging cross from Hernandez but Peacock-Farrell could do nothing to guard the point when Nuhiu shrugged off a challenge from Pennington and curled a calm finish into the back of the net.
Leeds United: Peacock-Farrell, Berardi , Pennington, Jansson, Pearce (Grot 77), O'Kane (Phillips 78), Forshaw, Alioski, Hernandez, Dallas, Ekuban (Lasogga 69). Subs (not used): Wiedwald, Anita, Vieira, Sacko.
Sheffield Wednesday: Wildsmith, Venancio, Lees, Pudil, Hunt, Hutchinson (Bannan 66), Pelupessy (Fox 90), Reach, Boyd, Nuhiu, Joao. Subs (not used): Dawson, Palmer, Jones, Butterfield, Rhodes.
Referee: Keith Stroud (Hampshire)