Congrats JBMarigold on your win!
My comment is related to how I would word count my own entry - I would be thinking that a word like "no-one" is one word, but two words hyphenated that don't normally go together, I would count as two words. But that's just my word counting. And I can only think that's what "losers" are carrying on about.
As for your entry, I would (if I were you), not have a second thought, because your word counting fits in with the judge's word counting, and you were a winner!