Despite losing All-Star Karol Lacey to the ‘flu, Donegal had little difficulty in chalking up their third successive NFL win.

They led 0-4 to 0-0 with Rory Kavanagh, Brendan Devenney, Ciaran Bonner and Colm McFadden pointing before Dublin had a late rally in the opening half.

In driving rain, Conal Keaney, Kevin Bonner and Darren Magee opened the visitors’ account - they trailed by 0-6 to 0-3 at the interval - but points from McFadden, Devenney and Johnny McLoone saw Donegal home.

With the wind causing havoc, Dublin took 29 minutes before they could register a score and by that time Donegal had the winning of the game within their grasp.

In truth, the Tír Chonaill men should have been further ahead than 0-5 to 0-0.

Kavanagh slid a goal chance wide in the tenth-minute and after skinning young Dublin full-back Niall O’Shea, Devenney look odds-on for a goal but a combination of Stephen Cluxton and Ger Brennan smothered the former Portadown soccer star’s shot and O’Shea got back on the goal line to retrieve the situation.

Overrun in midfield and with their defence exposed time and again, the Dubs grabbed a decent share of territory in the first half’s closing minutes with Bonner (30 minutes) and Magee (34) making it 0-5 to 0-3 before Devenney landed a late 25 metre free.

The turnaround failed to see Dublin, who were watched from the stands by Paul Caffrey owing to his sideline altercation with Tyrone’s Ryan McMenamin, up their game and the hosts moved 0-8 to 0-3 clear with points from McFadden (free) and Devenney.

Dublin skipper Collie Moran, who was sprung from the bench, added a bit of bite to the visitors’ half-forward line and he looked to have teed Keaney up for a goal chance but the Ballyboden forward fluffed his lines as he tried to go one-on-one with Donegal net minder Paul Durcan.

Tellingly, this was Dublin’s third game without scoring a goal and the concession of further points to O’Callaghan and Bonner did little to fret Brian McIver and his management team.

Wing forward McLoone produced a gem of a point to see out the tie - a booming ‘45’ into the wind as Donegal bounced back from last week’s McKenna Cup final defeat to add to their earlier league scalps of Cork and Mayo.

DONEGAL: P Durcan; N McGee, P Campbell, B Dunnion; P McGonigley, T O’Donoghue, K Cassidy; N Gallagher, B Monaghan; R Kavanagh (0-1), B Roper, J McLoone (0-1, 1 ‘45’); C McFadden (0-3, 2f), B Devenney (0-3, 2f), C Bonner (0-1).

Subs used: C Toye for Bonner (53 mins), E McGee for McConigley (57), A Sweeney for Roper (60), K McMenamin for McFadden (65), J Friel for Cassidy (68).

DUBLIN: S Cluxton; D Henry, N O’Shea, P Griffin; B Cahill, B Cullen, G Brennan; D Magee (0-1), R McConnell; C Keaney (0-1, 1f), T Quinn, D Murray; A Brogan, K Bonner (0-2), D O’Callaghan (0-1).

Subs used: C Moran for Murray (24 mins), P Casey for O’Shea (half-time), D Connolly for Quinn (46), B Brogan for Keaney (49), C Whelan for McConnell (55).

Referee: Brian Crowe (Cavan).