The Clydesdale Bank Premier League side were leading by a Craig Dargo goal when burly striker Higdon continued a feud with Malone when he clattered the former Clyde player on the touchline and appeared lucky to only get a yellow card from referee Euan Norris.
"I would need to see it again but I think he knew what he was doing," Malone said. "I think he went over the ball, he might think differently, but I think that was on his mind when he came over to try and do me on the touchline. I slid in and he missed the ball and stamped on my ankle and I don't think that is the way to play football."
He added: "I half saw it coming so I managed to get it out the way, I think if I had left my leg hanging in, it might have been worse.
"All the boys who watched it from the stand said it was definitely a red card.
"We shot ourselves in the foot, we gave them two goals and gave ourselves a mountain climb. We can't feel hard done by."
St Mirren manager Danny Lennon saw the incident differently.
He said: "I certainly thought it was worthy of a yellow card. No more. I saw a worse tackle than that at Easter Road during the week when we played there.
"It was a typical striker's tackle, worth a yellow but certainly not red.
"We are just pleased to get into the next round."
Source: PA
Source: PA