Brown’s two objectives had been simply reward for a participant who has been quietly spectacular for much longer than this marketing campaign, and he was a part of a back-five which stood out in what was a 3rd consecutive clear sheet.
Brodie Spencer and Terry Devlin had been drafted in on the full-back positions and each impressed, however Brown’s centre-back companions McConville and Tom Atcheson actually shone.
Norwich Metropolis defender McConville, 21, commanded his space nicely and, in addition to an help for Brown, he additionally allowed the ball to trickle over the road when he may have touched residence for the third aim as a substitute of his team-mate.
Atcheson, himself solely 20 and taking part in for Blackburn Rovers within the Championship, made his Northern Eire debut in Wales in March, however confirmed composure past his years.
O’Neill mentioned each gamers had been “terrific” as he advised BBC Sport: “They don’t have any ceiling, to be trustworthy.
“They’re each taking part in within the Championship on the minute however they’re able to go to the subsequent degree.
“They’ll make errors at occasions and we have put rather a lot on them by way of the physicality. The 2 of them had been sensible.”
O’Neill was additionally delighted for Brown, who mentioned he had “actually grown” right into a senior position within the absence of injured Sunderland defender Dan Ballard.
“Three 90 minutes at this degree is hard,” mentioned O’Neill of the 28-year-old.
“He performs his membership soccer in League One and he is a greater participant than that.
“He brings rather a lot to the crew. He was our most senior participant tonight and he has actually grown into that.”