The Donegal manager saw his team turn a three-point interval advantage into a 3-12 to 0-6 win on the Bogside to make it two wins from three in Group B of the Ulster Minor League.
Donegal started impressively with Eoghan McGettigan laying on a goal for Jack Flannery in just four minutes but took a while to kick on from there.
“The first goal was well-worked and there was good movement off the shoulder and Jack finished it off well,” Barrett said. “We were delighted with that.
“We created the goal well and took it well. We’re disappointed we didn’t push on from there because it was a great start. We didn’t get far enough ahead from the chances we had considering we had a lot of possession.”
Having kicked seven first half wides, Donegal were much more economical – and indeed ruthless – after the break as they chalked up two goals and eight points with just two more wides.
Jason McGee and Odhran Ferry added the goals and with McGettigan and Niall O’Donnell on the scoresheet, as well as welcome score from Peadar Mogan who’d been missing for a couple of weeks through injury, Enda McCormick was on form kicking four points.
So after wins over Fermanagh and now Derry – either side of a loss at home to Tyrone – Donegal travel to Antrim on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals.
“We were wasteful and didn’t take our chances and had some poor shot selection,” Barrett added of the first half before looking at the second. “We upped it in the second half. They did well and got the result.
“We spoke about that at half-time because it was the same against Tyrone. in the second half, we were much better. There was good driving forward and creating space.
“We’ll be taking nothing for granted. It’s down to Antrim now on Saturday. We’ve not got a venue for that as yet. It’s winner-takes-all and it take you through to the semi-final.”
Barrett admitted that winning a third Ulster Minor League in succession for Donegal isn’t the utmost of priorities, although values the competitiveness ahead of the Ulster Minor Football Championship opener against either Antrim or Fermanagh in late May,
“The league – let’s be honest – isn’t the be-all and end-all for us,” he added. “We’re looking for a good competitive game and you will get that in this competition and in the semi-final no matter who you get.
“You will get a quality game against quality opposition. The Championship is what we’re looking out for and it’s only seven weeks now this Sunday.”
