The central defender, while delighted with the opening 45 minutes, was disappointed that lapses at the back allowed the Dark Blues to go on and win the trophy in what was a five-goal thriller.

It was an unfortunate end to an afternoon that had began promisingly for Caley Thistle, but Munro insists both he and his team-mates will work hard this week to try and eradicate these momentary losses of concentration in defence.

"I think the difference was that Dundee scored early in the second half," he said. "If they had not managed that then perhaps we would have been able to catch them on the counter attack the longer the game went on. If we could have kept it tight for that 10-15 minute period after half-time then we would have been fine, but all credit to Dundee, although the first goal we lost was poor.

"We shouldn't have let the cross come in and unfortunately Nauris (Bulvitis) just gets himself caught on the wrong side of Sean Higgins.

"It's just basic defending because we didn't pick up our men for the goals we lost. It was a good save by Ryan (Esson) for the second, but we didn't react quickly enough to the loose ball. It something that we need to take a look at and we'll certainly rectify. It seems like it's been a regular thing with us this season that when we lose a goal then we concede again soon afterwards, so it's something that we've got to work hard on to stop."

Having been so in control of the opening half, it was hard to see Dundee forging themselves back into proceedings at McDiarmid Park, but the Tayside club left Munro and his team-mates rejected by their second half fightback.

The 29-year-old centre-half, however, maintains that if Inverness could have further pressed home their domination in terms of chances in the opening half then another goal would almost certainly have put the game beyond their rivals for the Division One title.

Manager Terry Butcher tries to console captain Grant Munro.

"It is a hard one to take," he said. "I thought in the first half we were tremendous and were perhaps a little unfortunate to go in at half-time only 2-0 in front.

"It's always a difficult score in football when you go in 2-0 up at the interval because it was a case then of the next goal being crucial. If we get it then the game is over, but if they get it then they are right back in it.

"We were told at half-time to keep it tight for the first 10-15 minutes, but Dundee got two quick goals and all credit to them because that put their tails up.

"We came back into it and looked like we had settled ourselves again until Dundee got their third goal late on. All the goals we lost, however, were very poor from our point of view and it simply wasn't good enough."

Despite his disappointment at missing out on Challenge Cup success, Munro is confident that Caley Thistle showed yet again they have what it takes to compete with Dundee this season having already held them to a 2-2 draw in league at Dens Park back in August.

"Fair play to Dundee, however, for the way they came back at us and in the end they probably just about deserved to win the cup", he added.

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