At 21-years-old, Norwich City’s McConville is the more senior of the pair.
Having been given his debut off the bench at home to Belarus two years ago this week, among the former Brighton man’s early international assignments was trying to keep a rampant Alexander Isak in check during a 5-1 defeat by Sweden.
In the short time since he has looked an increasingly commanding figure, leading this Nations League group in clearances made with both head and boot.
“It would be unbelievable to keep that record for these last two games and go the whole of the campaign,” he said of what is Northern Ireland’s longest run without conceding a goal since 2017.
McConville notes that the streak is a team effort and product of collective work-rate, rather than just the defensive three alone.
“We’re a team that works hard, a team that doesn’t want to give anything up.
“We’re confident in ourselves and we know that we’re a good side.”
It is McConville who has taken on the Ballard role in the middle of the defence for the past three games, with Atcheson on the right and Oxford United’s Ciaron Brown, himself superb through the campaign so far, playing from the left.
On the developing understanding between an emerging unit, McConville added: “We’re enjoying playing together.
“It’s still early days together and we have to keep taking it game by game and doing what the gaffer tells us and the work on the training pitch.
“We don’t have much time together when we’re here (in international camp) so it’s important to do all we can.”