The rebels, however, had anticipated the move and were waiting in ambush. Stapylton saw the road ahead twisting into woods, and ordered a pair of scouts to check for anything suspicious. The men do not seem to have been particularly vigilant, as when they returned they declared that the road ahead was safe. The redcoats marched into the wooded area, a dense hedge snaking along the road on one side: on the opposite side, the ground steadily rose, with the areas higher up the slope dominated by demesne woods. This provided cover for the Irish. The Irish rebels were mostly armed with
pikes and the terrain allowed them to quickly swarm the soldiers on the road below. In the fierce hand-to-hand combat that followed the British forces were overwhelmed. One of the fencibles, a veteran of wars in Europe who managed to survive the attack, later stated that he had never before witnessed such fierce fighting:
Every man had to fight his way in the best manner he could in opposition to the charged pike and other weapons, to which he had not been accustomed. Over fifty men were piked to death before Stapylton managed to order the soldiers; he then brought his cannon into play against the mass of rebels before him, inflicting enough casualties with canister and
grapeshot to blunt their attack. In the meantime, Stapylton's force used the situation to march to safety. The following day the York Fencible Regiment of Foot, Stapylton had left to garrison
Newtownards repulsed a rebel attack led by
David Bailie Warden but then withdrew through
Comber to re-join their commander in
Belfast. ==Aftermath==