The PSL newbies had made a shaky start to their debut campaign in the top flight, though the coach said there had been some progress.
Mongoya commended his players for quickly adapting to the strategies that needed to be applied in the Chippa game.
He described the Chilli Boys' co-ordinated defence as a tough nut to crack, adding that he had to chop-and-change his formations to break it down.
The strategy paid off, with a late strike from Sipho Sibiya deciding the contest at the Buffalo City Stadium in KuGompo City on Saturday.
This was Kruger's second victory in the league.
The three points meant the Mpumalanga outfit moved to 12th position on seven points, giving them a breather from the relegation zone.
“We didn’t have one of the best preseasons,” Mongoya said.
"That’s why we started so bad; hence we needed the Fifa break.
“We had 12 injuries before the break. Some of the players coming in, they were injured.
"You look at Celimpilo Ngema, he comes from a long-term injury, and he was very influential in the game.
“Even when he’s tired and you want to take him off the field, you realise he’s still a threat.
"Another thing we had to develop during the break was the character and the mentality of wanting to win and compete.
"The Chippa win is one of the few clean sheets we have kept, and it was against a good team that created better chances.”
Between now and mid-December, when the league takes another two-week break, Mongoya wants consistency from his players.
"We don’t want to play along the relegation [zone].
“That means we should get the momentum of winning games; we have to go away and be able to steal points.
“We also need to be able to go back home and get our first victory.
“We have never won a game home in the league,” he said.
Kruger’s next match is against AmaZulu in the Carling Black Label Cup in Mpumalanga this weekend.
The match will be the club's first in a cup competition in the top flight since gaining promotion a few months ago.
