The rehabilitation is almost complete as Dublin made it back to back Division 1 wins at Croke Park this afternoon.
Dessie Farrell’s men are still joint bottom of the table alongside Monaghan on four points as they go to face Seamus McEnaney’s men at Clones next weekend in the final round.
The loser of that one will be relegated, but there is no guarantee either that the winner will stay up.
That will be dependent on results elsewhere.
Today’s defeat leaves Donegal in relegation trouble themselves.
Declan Bonner’s men lie on five points, alongside Tyrone and Kildare, and just one ahead of Dublin and Monaghan.
Donegal are at home to Armagh next weekend where a win will secure their Division 1 status without having to rely on results elsewhere.
It looked promising early on for Donegal here as they started like a train, roaring out into a 1-4 to 0-2 lead, but as the game wore on Dublin got stronger, outscoring their opponents by 1-6 to 0-1 in the second quarter of the game.
The Donegal goal was slightly fortuitous as Patrick McBrearty’s shot for a point dipped over the head of Dublin goalkeeper Michael Shiel to put the visitors ahead by three on 11 minutes.
But Dublin were a goal threat all day, and in control for the final three quarters of the game.
In fact, Cormac Costello saw his effort as early as the second minute blocked by Donegal goalkeeper, Shaun Patton after Sean Bugler punched a hole down the centre of the defence.
On 20 minutes the home side got their goal with Niall Scully rolling to the net.
Scully started the move and followed his pass in as Costello and Tom Lahiff got involved in a flowing move.
Dublin might have had a third goal on 31 minutes as Scully attempted to lob Patton from 65 metres out, but the ball went wide.
Cian Murphy got a hand in on Jamie Brennan at the other end to turn the ball over.
This was one of the patterns as the first half wore on.
A series of Donegal foot passes didn’t stick with their forwards, allowing Dublin to break at pace.
One of the big differences with Dublin and everyone else is the sheer volume of unselfish, hard runs their backs and midfielders make to draw players away.
It was two such instances that helped Brian Howard as he found space to point two sweet scores - off the inside and the outside of the foot - as Dublin went in 1-8 to 1-5 up at half-time.
Michael Murphy’s flicked goal on 54 minutes after a perfectly flighted Ryan McHugh diagonal ball, and Patrick McBrearty’s 1-6 haul, including 1-5 from play, kept Donegal in touch.
But as we’ve seen so often before with Dublin, as Donegal tired the home side got stronger.
Dean Rock’s penalty goal on 68 minutes sealed the result, as he smashed to the roof of the net after Michael Fitzsimons - played in by fellow full back line member, David Byrne - was fouled by Jeaic McKelvey.
Dublin were still going strong at the end and full value for their four point winning margin.
DUBLIN: M Shiel, M Fitzsimons, D Byrne, C Murphy, J McCarthy, J Cooper, R McDaid, B Fenton (0-2), T Lahiff (0-1), B Howard (0-3), S Bugler (0-1), N Scully (1-0), C Costello (0-3), C Kilkenny, D Rock (1-5, 1-0pen, 3fs).
SUBS: L Gannon for Scully 64mins, E Murchan for Cooper 52mins, B O’Leary for Costello 67mins, A Wright for Kilkenny 71mins, C O’Shea for McCarthy 72mins.
DONEGAL: S Patton, C Ward, B McCole, O McFadden Ferry, R McHugh (0-1), E Ban Gallagher, S McMenamin, H McFadden, J McGee, A Doherty (0-1), P Mogan, C O’Donnell (0-2), P McBrearty (1-6, 0-1f), M Murphy (1-1, 0-1 f), J Brennan,
SUBS: S O’Donnell for Brennan 49mins, E O’Donnell for Doherty 59mins, J McKelvey for McHugh 60mins, P Brennan for McFadden 62mins, N McGee for McMenamin 69mins.
REFEREE: C Reilly (Meath)
